CM urges Modi’s support to irrigation projects

Invites Modi to Khelo India Youth Games 2026

metro india news  I

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Sunday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter’s official residence and sought the Centre’s active cooperation in resolving pending clearances for major irrigation projects and long-standing inter-state water disputes. The meeting, attended by Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya, Telangana Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy and Sports Minister Vakiti Srihari, focused on accelerating projects critical for the state’s agricultural and drinking water needs.

Revanth Reddy informed the Prime Minister that since assuming office, the state government had significantly accelerated work on pending projects and was ensuring swift payment of compensation to project-affected families. He specifically requested the Prime Minister’s intervention to persuade the Maharashtra government to allow construction of the Tummidihetti project on the Pranahita River at the +152- metre level.

The Chief Minister recalled his recent meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and reiterated Telangana’s readiness to pay full compensation for any submergence in Maharashtra. He stressed that the Tummidihetti project would enable gravity-based irrigation and drinking water supply to backward and tribal areas of Telangana, eliminating the need for costly lift irrigation in those regions.

‘The Chief Minister also highlighted delays in environmental and other statutory clearances for the Dr. S. Jaipal Reddy Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS), Sitasagar Multi-Purpose Project (SSMP) and Dindi Lift Irrigation Scheme (DLIS). Despite substantial investment by the state government, these projects have not been able to deliver the intended drinking water benefits because clearances remain pending. Noting the recent favourable Supreme Court ruling on environmental clearances, Revanth Reddy urged the Prime Minister to ensure that the required permissions are granted without further delay.

Under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI), the Chief Minister requested an additional allocation of Rs 5,000 crore for Telangana. He said the funds would be utilised for projects that are already 70 to 90 per cent complete. If sanctioned in the current financial year, the money would help stabilise existing ayacut and create new irrigation potential, thereby boosting farmers’ incomes, rural employment and food grain production. On the Sammakka Sagar project, Revanth Reddy informed the Prime Minister that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) had already been submitted to the Central Water Commission.

The state has spent Rs 9.88 crore on a comprehensive survey to assess the extent of submergence in Chhattisgarh at full reservoir level and backwater levels. Telangana is prepared to pay land compensation to Chhattisgarh and requested the Prime Minister’s help in securing an early No Objection Certificate from that state.

The Chief Minister further sought central funding under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for several projects: Rs 5,183 crore for the integrated Sammakka Sagar–Sitarama Lift Irrigation Scheme, Rs 392 crore for Modikunta Vagu, Rs 171 crore for the Chinna Kaleshwaram project and Rs 103 crore for the Chanaka-Korata barrage.

Turning to sports, Revanth Reddy formally invited Prime Minister Modi to be the chief guest at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Khelo India Youth Games 2026, scheduled to be held in Hyderabad and other venues across Telangana from December 11 to 22. He presented the invitation letter and briefed the Prime Minister on the official logo and mascot of the Games. More than 7,000 of India’s finest young athletes will compete in 27 sports disciplines, providing a crucial platform for future representation at the Asian Games and Olympics. The Chief Minister recalled Telangana’s successful hosting of the National Games in 2002 and the World Military Games in 2007, expressing confidence that the state is fully prepared to stage another major national sporting event.

Later on Sunday, Revanth Reddy and Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya jointly unveiled the official logo and mascot of the 8th Khelo India Youth Games 2026 at the Union Minister’s official residence. The event was attended by state ministers, Sports Authority officials and senior bureaucrats including Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju. The Chief Minister informed Mandaviya that stadiums in Hyderabad and several district headquarters have been made ready. He also highlighted the sharp increase in the state’s sports budget from Rs 113 crore to Rs 465 crore in just three years and the completion of 61 mini-stadiums, with another 15 under construction. 

The meeting underscored Telangana’s dual priorities of securing water security for its farmers and projecting itself as a leading sports destination. Officials present described the discussions as constructive, with the state government hopeful of early positive outcomes on both the irrigation and sporting fronts.