CM Revanth Alleges SIR Aimed at Weakening Congress Vote Bank in Telangana
CM urges voters and booth agents to stay vigilant as 70% of electoral roll revision is complete
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday expressed concern over the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral roll in Telangana, stating that 70 per cent of the enumeration process had been completed and the remaining 30 per cent was crucial. He alleged that the SIR exercise was aimed at weakening the Congress vote bank in the state.
“In a democracy, the vote is very important,” he said, warning that the votes of Dalits and tribals in villages could be deleted, potentially depriving them of welfare benefits. He urged voters and party-appointed booth-level agents (BLAs) to remain vigilant during the remaining SIR process, while speaking with the media at the Legislative Assembly premises.
Rejecting certain reports that he had multiple voter registrations, Revanth Reddy said he had transferred his vote from his native Kondareddypalli to Kodangal. He recalled that Kodangal was part of Karnataka before the formation of linguistic states. Defending HYDRAA, Revanth Reddy said it was functioning effectively, restoring water bodies and protecting government land.
The Chief Minister accused the BRS of opposing the Congress government because its welfare measures were benefiting the poor. He alleged that the previous BRS government had sold houses meant for the poor to middlemen and was now speaking against the Congress out of frustration. He also claimed that BJP leaders were involved in internal disputes.
He challenged BRS leader T. Harish Rao to explain why he was removed as irrigation minister during the BRS regime. Revanth Reddy contended that then-Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao had sidelined Harish Rao over allegations that hundreds of crores were taken away in the Kaleshwaram project without his knowledge.
He pointed out that the Kannepalli pump house has constructed when Harish Rao was irrigation minister.
On the use of the three stricken barrages of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme (KLIS), Revanth Reddy said experts had advised that water should not be stored and the barrage gates should remain open. He noted that the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) chairman had personally visited the project and said there was no scope to lift water from any of its barrages based on its recommendations.
A new dam would have to be built near the Medigadda barrage as the cofferdam, as suggested by the BRS, could not simply “descend from the sky.”
Revanth Reddy noted that the gates of the Medigadda barrage would have to be lowered to retain five metres of water. He said the flow of one lakh cusecs of water was recorded for only one day.
“If water is not to be stored, why were barrages constructed,” he asked. He said the NDSA and Justice P.C. Ghose Commission reports had clearly highlighted issues with Kaleshwaram and reiterated that the matter had been handed over for a CBI probe.
He also said that all pumps at the Devadula lift scheme were functional.
Revanth Reddy alleged that the BRS had helped the BJP electorally in Telangana, questioning why the BJP secured majorities in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the Gajwel, Sircilla and Siddipet Assembly segments represented by Chandrashekar Rao, K.T. Rama Rao and Harish Rao respectively.
