Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited the Medigadda barrage, which is a part of the corruption-ridden Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation Scheme in Telangana, on November 2. This image was posted by Rahul on his X account.
Telangana elections: Kaleswaram lift irrigation project takes centrestage
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi last week displayed a mock 'Kaleswaram ATM' made by his party to highlight the alleged corruption in the project.
An irrigation project, said to be the world's largest multi-stage lift irrigation scheme, has become a major talking point in the high-pitched election campaign in Telangana, with both the Congress and BJP blaming corruption by the BRS government for the sinking of its piers.
Congress and BJP leaders have made it a point to make well-publicised visits to the Kaleswaram lift irrigation project, inaugurated in 2019 to divert 195 TMC of water from the Godavari river to the backward areas in Telangana.
No speech by any senior leader from the Congress or BJP is complete without a reference to the 'sinking' piers.
Their aim is to mock chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao over alleged corruption in the project – a charge that the state government denies.
The BRS government says the Kaleswaram project led to a massive rise in agriculture production with the expansion of irrigation facilities.
The project envisaged diversion of 195 TMC of Godavari water to the Sripada Rao Yellampally project and creation of an additional ayacut of about 18.25 lakh acres in Adilabad, Karimnagar, and other districts.
A row broke out last month after reports of the piers of the Medigadda barrage’s sinking surfaced.
Central team
A team from the National Dam Safety Authority visited the site to study the reasons for the happening.
The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) last week said the barrage has been severely compromised, rendering it useless unless fully rehabilitated.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi last week displayed a mock 'Kaleswaram ATM' made by his party to highlight the alleged corruption in the project.
Gandhi, who visited the barrage on November 2, alleged that cracks could be seen in multiple pillars due to shoddy construction.
"Kaleshwaram Project = KCR Family ATM. I visited the Medigadda barrage, which is a part of the corruption-ridden Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme in Telangana," the Congress MP said on X.
Union Minister and state BJP president G Kishan Reddy also visited the barrage with other BJP leaders on November 4.
He said the Central government would order a CBI inquiry into the episode if the chief minister permitted.
Telangana’s defence
The Telangana government says the National Dam Safety Authority has sent a communication to the state government in haste without checking the details it submitted.
BRS Working President KT Rama Rao accused the NDSA of being politically motivated.
"Everybody knows it is politically motivated. People understand the politics behind and what happens in Delhi. The BJP government has been notorious for … targeting any state not politically aligned with them," he said.
(With agency inputs)
