HYDERABAD: BJP leaders took strong objection to minister K.T. Rama Rao calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “mayagadu (trickster)” and he was doing so as he had done nothing significant to stay in the headlines.
BJP vice-president D.K. Aruna said, “KTR keeps levelling such allegations against the BJP whenever he goes to Mahbubnagar district.”
With regard to the Centre not giving national project status to the Palamuru Rangareddy lift irrigation scheme (PRLIS), she said the BRS government had changed its design and had not submitted the detailed project report until six months back.”
She said the project designed was changed to draw water from the Srisailam reservoir instead of the Jurala barrage as originally proposed. The original design would not have needed permissions, unlike at Srisailam where both AP and Telangana have ownership. She alleged that the BRS government was not utilising the 299 tmc ft water by completing projects.
She alleged that the BRS was interested in costly projects where its leaders could bag commissions. She cited the example of the Rajolibanda diversion scheme which can irrigate 87,000 acres in Alampur constituency at a cost of '796 crore but had been neglected by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao.
Party state general secretary Gujjula Premender Reddy said, “The Centre gave loans at concessional interest rates for PRLIS construction and cleared permissions. KTR’s comment was being made with an eye on votes.”
He said the Centre had given '9 lakh crore so far to the state government. The state government has allocated less than '50,000 crore for development each year.
He said the state had 2,500 km of national highways but the NDA government at the Centre had added 3,000 km in nine years. It had restarted the '6,300 crore Ramagundam Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited, and Modi would be launching an 800-MW power plant. Another 800 MW plant would be running soon, he said and added, “We will keep our promises. For Telangana to develop a double engine government is needed.”
