Sharmila urges Rahul to speak up on corruption in Kaleshwaram project

Hyderabad, Oct 26 (IANS) YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) chief Y.S. Sharmila has written a letter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appealing him to raise the corruption of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation project during his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Telangana.

Sharmila wrote that as a national party, Congress should have a regional concern too and particularly about a project that her father -- late Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy conceived to bring permanent solution to the drought-ridden Telangana lands.

"As Rahul Gandhi begins his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Telangana, we welcome him on this soil, and also appeal him to raise this issue that will have far-reaching impact and awareness as the biggest scam committed by KCR to favour his family and one contractor," she said adding that the local Congress leaders have only been doing cosmetic service when it came to fighting Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao and his corruption in Kaleshwaram project.

Recalling her father's commitment and vision towards Telangana, Sharmila tried to draw attention of Rahul Gandhi towards the original specifications of the project that was then conceived as Ambedkar Pranahita Chevella Project, and planned with an outlay of Rs 38,500 crore.

"Today, KCR has hiked the cost to over Rs 1.20 lakh crore with no perceived additional benefits. The original project design, along with Dr. YSR's unflinching commitment towards irrigation in Telangana was hailed by the Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi. We want Rahul Gandhi to know that the current lot of his colleagues in Telangana have no interest to fight these irregularities."

"We expect Rahul Gandhi to raise the subject all along his Yatra in Telangana, more seriously, and not just as lip service. This appeal is in the larger interest of the people of Telangana. I wish to add once again that it is only the YSRTP that has been fervently fighting against the corruption and massive malpractices in the project," she said.

The YSRTP leader said she met the CBI and the CAG officials in Delhi and filed complaints against the project irregularities, falsification of numbers and favouritism.

"We are going all out to expose KCR on all fronts, we have not relented, and we will not relax. While welcoming Rahul Gandhi, we expect that he also understands the seriousness of the scam and as a national party, respond by raising the issue," she added.