Government firm on completing the pending irrigation projects in erstwhile Mahabubnagar district, says CM

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective.

First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming.

Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day.

Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers

Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there

The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features.

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. File | Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G

The State government has resolved to take up the pending and ongoing irrigation projects in the erstwhile undivided Mahabubnagar district on a war footing to provide water to 26 lakh acre as assured in the past.

The government has accordingly set a timeline for completion of the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) up to Uddandapur before June next year. The decisions follow Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Minister for Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy’s visit to inspect pending projects in Mahabunagar district. “We are committed to allocate funds and complete the projects during this tenure itself,” Mr. Revanth Reddy and Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy said.

The visit, according to them, revealed that the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government, which was in power from June 2, 2014 till December 2023, did not complete basic works like land acquisition which was crucial component of irrigation projects.

“BRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao cleared proposals for lifts and pumps as they involve commissions. He did not complete land acquisition for any project. Civil works have been neglected and only electro-mechanical works taken up,” the Chief Minister said. He said while ₹55,000 crore was required for completion of Kulwakurthy Lift Irrigation Scheme, the BRS government had spent ₹27,000 crore, a major chunk on pumps and lifts without bothering about trunk canals and reservoirs pertaining to the project.

Outlining the burden on the Congress government, he said the BRS government had spent ₹1.81 lakh crore on irrigation sector but did not complete any major project while the fate of Kaleshwaram project was there for everyone to see. The BRS repaid ₹41,118 crore principal and ₹43,285 crore interest, taking the total to ₹84,503 crore, for the huge loans it had raised in the name of irrigation projects. “They (the BRS leaders) claim that 90% of the PRLIS has been completed. There has to b