metro india news  I hyderabad

The Congress government is organizing a detailed PowerPoint presentation on January 1 at Praja Bhavan to rebut opposition BRS claims on irrigation mismanagement. Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy will give a detailed presentation with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka in attendance. Invitations were extended to all ministers, MLAs, MLCs, MPs, and senior leaders, who were also instructed to prepare for countering BRS during the Legislative Assembly's Winter session resuming January 2 after a three-day break.

The assembly anticipates intense debates on river water issues, focusing on Krishna and Godavari shares, where the BRS is accused of decade-long negligence. Former CM and BRS President K. Chandrashekar Rao's return to his Erravelli farmhouse raises questions about his participation in the remaining sessions, amid expected tensions between Congress and BRS.

Uttam Reddy inspected Praja Bhavan arrangements for the event and has mobilized about 100 engineers to compile reports on irrigation, including the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS). The presentation will highlight BRS's Rs 27,000 crore spend on PRLIS yielding no new irrigation acres, absent clearances, and misleading water usage claims. Overall, BRS spent Rs 1.83 lakh crore on irrigation without fresh potential, incurring Rs 96,000 crore in high-interest loans. In contrast, Congress has invested Rs 7,000 crore in two years for pending works, repaid Rs 49,000 crore, and vows to complete projects like SLBC in three years.

Engineers from PRLIS and inter-state wings are stationed in Hyderabad for the debate, with documents ready to counter opposition. CM Revanth Reddy will provide inputs to refine the strategy.

Telangana's fierce stand on Godavari Waters

Meanwhile Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy asserted the state's robust defense against Andhra Pradesh's plans to divert up to 200 TMC of Godavari floodwaters via the Polavaram project expansions, initially as Polavaram-Banakacherla Link (PBLP) and repackaged as Polavaram-Nallamala Sagar Link (PNLP). He highlighted violations of the 1980 GWDT Award, 2014 Reorganisation Act, and CWC guidelines.