Congress seeks comprehensive probe into Kaleshwaram project

Hyderabad, Nov 4 (IANS) Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee President A. Revanth Reddy has demanded a probe into all aspects of Kaleshwaram project in the wake of National Dam Safety Authority’s report on sinking of Medigadda barrage's piers.

Addressing a Press conference on Saturday, he said the Centre should constitute a committee comprising technical experts from other states for a comprehensive probe under the supervision of a sitting judge of the Supreme Court.

He said the committee should look into all aspects from preparation of estimates, to planning, designing and construction of the project.

Revanth Reddy also demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally inspect the Medigadda barrage during his next Telangana visit to understand the situation first hand.

Slamming Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for massive corruption in the project, the Congress leader alleged that KCR and his family are financial terrorists.

“They should be punished and for this the Centre has to act. It is because of the KCR that the project is collapsing today,” he said.

He demanded that to ensure transparency and a fair investigation, KCR and Minister Harish Rao should be removed from their positions.

He wanted to know why KCR is not coming forward to book a criminal case against L&T, which built the barrage. 

The TPCC chief said that during the Telangana statehood movement, KCR mentioned that the formation of the state could bring water, funds, and employment. However, in the last decade of his rule, these promises haven't materialised.

“KCR's tenure has been focused on redesigning Congress-proposed projects, rather than fulfilling his promises. For instance, he changed the Pranahita Chevella project into Kaleshwaram, which deviated from the original engineering plans,” he said.

The recent situation at the Medigadda barrage within the Kaleshwaram project highlights that it was not constructed as per the original plans, leading to the sinking and damage of the barrage, he alleged.

“KCR claims that he single-handedly initiated, planned, designed, and maintained the Kaleshwaram project. Yet, the project's damage is dismissed as a minor issue by the government,” he said.

The Congress leader alleged that under the guise of redesigning, KCR inflated the estimated cost of Kaleshwaram from 38,500 crores to 1 lakh crore. However, despite this substantial investment, the project was not constructed with adequate quality, resulting in corruption and damage.

“Rather than addressing the issue, KTR and his party are criticising me and Rahul Gandhi for visiting Medigadda. The National Dam Safety Authority has officially stated that the entire project could be damaged, necessitating complete demolition and reconstruction,” Revanth Reddy said.