Union Minister uttering blatant lies on Kaleshwaram

By Our Special Correspondent

Telangana Finance Minister T. Harish Rao said on Wednesday that Union Hydropower Minister Gajendra Singh Shekawat has told blatant lies about the Kaleshwaram irrigation project.

A Union Minister was blamed for saying one word in Parliament and a completely different word outside for political mileage.

Speaking at a public meeting in Yadadri on Tuesday, Harish Rao was furious over Shekawat's comments on the project.

Quoting Shekhawat's statement in Parliament that there was no corruption in Kaleswaram, he said that it is ironic to say that the project was built without any approval and that there was corruption in it.

The Union Minister on Tuesday alleged that the Telangana government led by K. Chandrasekhar Rao had constructed the Kaleshwaram project on the Godavari River with a wrong design.

Faulty design and shoddy engineering were blamed for the inundation of three pump houses in the project in the recent floods.

He stated that the project was constructed without investment and environmental clearances.

The Union Minister alleged that Kaleswaram was built by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao as a money making machine.

Shekhawat was addressing a public meeting organized by the BJP in Yadadri to launch the third phase of the 'Praja Sangramam' campaign by the party's state chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar.

Harish Rao said that the Center has given permission to Kaleswaram in January 2022. The Minister of State pointed out that through this project, it is aimed to irrigate 18 lakh acres and strengthen irrigation to 19.5 lakh acres.

He said those five months ago, Shekawat said in Parliament that there was no corruption in the project, but now he has told blatant lies.

Harish Rao pointed out that the Central Water Board has given all the permissions for the project. While the environmental clearance for Kaleswaram was on December 22, 2017, the Forest Department approved it on November 24, 2017.