Hyderabad: Irrigation minister T. Harish Rao on Friday rebutted the Congress allegation that the state government mortgaged TS interests by inking the pact with Maharashtra for construction of barrages on the Godavari.
The minister also took strong exception to the Congress claim that the irrigation projects were re-engineered for the sole purpose of swindling public money.
In a statement, Mr Rao wondered why the Congress was raising a hue and cry on the finalisation of Full Reservoir Level on Tummidhatti Barrage.
“It was the Congress which called for tenders in 2012 and took up work without deciding on the FRL. This invited strong objection from Maharashtra and finally led to the project being halted and the money spent going down the drain,” he said.
Mr Rao questioned the Congress failure in convincing the Maharashtra government which was then also ruled by the Congress, regarding the clearance of the projects.
He said the TRS government succeeded in addressing all the issues with regard to FRL and barrage height with the neighbouring state, and wondered about the fate of the agreement entered by the then Congress government with Maharashtra and MP on Ichampally project in 1978 and Lendi, lower Penganga and Pranahita projects in 1975.
The Congress government in united AP neither took up the works nor pursued with the neighbouring states to resolve objections raised by the latter, he said, and demanded the party to explain to the people the similarity between the agreements entered during its regime and the present TRS government.
The agreement with Maharastra by the then Congress on Pranahita project was completely different from the fresh pact signed by the TS government, Mr Harish Rao said, pointing out that the new agreement was for construction of six new barrages.
