Ministers’ Kaleshwaram Pump Stunt Sparks Outcry
The pre-visit water releases from the Nandi and Gayatri pump houses were a calculated move by the Congress government to avert farmer protests: Choppadandi MLA Sunke Ravishankar (BRS)
KARIMNAGAR: The state government has come under fire for allegedly staging a political stunt with the Kaleshwaram Ling-2 project during Sunday’s visit by ministers N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, T. Nageshwar Rao, D. Sridhar Babu, P. Prabhakar, and A. Laxman Kumar to Peddapalli, Jagtial, and Karimnagar districts.
At the Gayatri pump house in Lakshmipur village, Karimnagar district, the motors were switched on Sunday morning, but turned off at night once the ministers’ visit concluded. Critics accuse the government of bowing to pressure from BRS leaders and farmers solely for appearances, misleading the local community.
Former Choppadandi MLA Sunke Ravishankar (BRS) alleged that the pre-visit water releases from the Nandi and Gayatri pump houses were a calculated move by the Congress government to avert farmer protests.
“The government feigned compliance with farmers’ demands merely to appease the visiting ministers,” Ravishankar said. “They switched on the motors at dawn, then shut them off immediately after the visit, a betrayal of the farmers.”
He added that the BRS has consistently urged the government to release water for paddy cultivation, warning that such deceptive tactics will only intensify protests by both the BRS and the wider farming community.
Ravishankar demanded an immediate release of Godavari River water, currently going unused, to fulfil the government’s pledge of support for regional farmers.
