In a scathing attack on the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government, Telangana's Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy has dismissed its claims of completing 90% of the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) as a 'bundle of lies'. He asserted that the project's relocation from its original site was a deliberate act that betrayed the state's water interests.
The 'Major Blunder' and Its Costly Consequences
Addressing a high-level meeting at Praja Bhavan on Thursday, Minister Reddy presented a detailed analysis to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, legislators, and cabinet colleagues. He pinpointed the decision to move the PRLIS intake from Jurala to Srisailam as a catastrophic error. This move, he argued, was not a simple mistake but a calculated step with severe repercussions for Telangana.
The minister revealed staggering financial figures to underscore his point. The project, initiated via a Government Order on June 10, 2015, had an initial estimated cost of Rs 35,000 crore. However, a Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted to the Central Water Commission on September 13, 2022, revised this estimate to Rs 55,000 crore, excluding crucial elements like the ayacut canal system and land acquisition.
'The full completion and operationalisation of PRLIS, including the canal network, will now require over Rs 80,000 crore,' Uttam Kumar Reddy stated. He contrasted this with the Rs 27,000 crore spent by the BRS during its tenure, countering allegations of neglect by the current Congress administration by highlighting an investment of Rs 7,000 crore in just the last two years.
Sacrificing Telangana's Water Priority
Reddy explained that the original plan for PRLIS, conceived in undivided Andhra Pradesh, granted it the status of an 'old project.' This classification would have given Telangana inherent priority in water allocation disputes before tribunals. 'Had we stuck to the Jurala plan, it would have been recognized as an existing initiative, not a new project facing fresh delays and scrutiny,' he lamented.
The minister alleged that the relocation was engineered to benefit neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. He claimed the PRLIS capacity was artificially capped at 1 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) to accommodate Andhra's Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme. 'This was a compromise that cost us dearly,' he asserted, accusing the BRS leadership of sacrificing Telangana's potential benefits.
To illustrate the financial mismanagement, he drew a comparison with the Kaleshwaram project. 'For just an additional 2 TMC in Kaleshwaram, the BRS government tendered works worth Rs 20,000 crore involving multiple tunnels,' he said, implying disproportionate spending on other projects while PRLIS was undermined.
Political Repercussions and Future Debates
The detailed presentation sets the stage for intense debates in the state legislative assembly concerning river water sharing and irrigation priorities. The allegations directly counter the narrative put forth by former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and former minister T Harish Rao, who have accused the Congress government of stalling the project.
By framing the PRLIS relocation as a 'betrayal of Telangana's water interests' that led to massive cost escalations and loss of water rights, Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy has launched a significant political offensive. The issue is now poised to become a central point of contention regarding the BRS's legacy in water resource management and infrastructure development in Telangana.
