Political Parties Demand White Paper, Inquiry Over Medigadda Barrage Damage
Hyderabad: The Congress and the BJP slammed the BRS government for the damage to the Medigadda (Lakshmi) barrage and said the onus lay squarely on Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and his family members. The BJP sought a White Paper on the project, and the Congress demanded an inquiry.
Speaking with the media in Delhi, TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy said, “The culprit is KCR and his family who looted Rs 1 lakh crore along with the contractors. This is the result of lack of proper standards and a probe should be ordered by the Central Vigilance Commission.”
He said the party would write to the Election Commission for permission to visit the project site, and demanded that ministers K.T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao join them.
“Both Amit Shah and Kishan Reddy should tour the area. The state government cannot say that the barrage was built by private companies. Why is the BJP, which is alleging corruption in the construction of the Kaleshwaram projet not ordering a probe into the issue.”
In a press meet held in Hyderabad, Union minister and BJP state president G. Kishan Reddy took exception to reports that engineers were being prevented from visiting the site. He expressed concern that the pillars had sunk within three years of the execution of the project.
“Despite this situation, there has not been any explanation from the government… the developments have confirmed what the engineers have for long been saying about the quality of construction,” Kishan Reddy said. “Rao has described the project as an engineering marvel. By becoming an engineer, KCR did not listen to objections. Project estimates were increased and public money looted,” he said.
Huzurabad BJP MLA Etala Rajendar who drove to the barrage said that Chandrasekhar Rao must release a White Paper on the safety of the projects under the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme.
The MLA along with the former IAS officers Tejavoth Ramchandrudu, Chandra Vadan and former IPS officer Krishan Prasad visited the barrage and inspected the damage.
He said the Chief Minister had boasted about giving suggestions to engineers about the scheme and made people that water would be supplied from there. “The pump sets were submerged earlier, and now the barrage is sinking. The Chief Minister must answer to the people of Telangana,” he demanded.
