Hyderabad(Dec, 29) : Irrigation Minister Capt N. Uttam Kumar Reddy announced plans for a judicial inquiry into the alleged defects in design, construction, and operations of the Kaleshwaram project. The announcement came following an inspection of the Medigadda barrage foundation collapse by a group of ministers led by Uttam. Accompanied by Ministers D. Sridhar Babu, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, and Ponnam Prabhakar, MLC Jeevan Reddy, and Chennuru MLA Vivek Venkataswamy, the team visited Medigadda to assess damages and defects.
During the visit, Engineer-in-Chief C. Muralidhar presented a comprehensive overview of damages to Medigadda and Annaram barrages, totaling 108 pages. Expressing deep concern, Uttam Kumar Reddy addressed the alarming state of affairs, asserting the need for a judicial inquiry into the entire Kaleshwaram project. He criticized the government for the reported damages to the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages, highlighting potential financial burdens and pending bills.
Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged misuse of public funds, emphasizing the Congress Government’s commitment to investigating the Kaleshwaram project thoroughly. He drew attention to suspicions raised earlier about the project’s design, quality, and viability, which, according to him, have now been validated by the damages incurred. The Minister accused the previous government of shifting the project from Pranahita to Kaleshwaram without a scientific approach, resulting in an escalated cost of Rs 1.27 lakh crore.
Regarding the collapsed Medigadda pillars, Uttam Kumar Reddy criticized the former CM for not addressing the incident promptly and stressed the importance of holding those responsible accountable. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has initiated a judicial inquiry into the project, and the results will guide further actions. The Minister concluded by expressing concerns over the project’s impact on Telangana’s economy and vowed to fight for the national status of the Palamuru Rangareddy project.
