Telangana Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao today lashed out at the Congress and the TDP for "hindering" the ongoing irrigation project works in the State.
Participating in an oath-taking ceremony at the Karimnagar Market Committee, Rao slammed TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy for sending a memorandum to Governor E S L Narasimhan against the proposed Mallanna Sagar reservoir project, and for taking a delegation to Vemulaghat.
He alleged that the Congress leaders were emulating Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu who had opposed the construction of the Palamur lift irrigation project during his (Naidu's) regime. He also accused Congress leader S Jaipal Reddy of joining Naidu in opposing the project, and betraying the farmers of Telangana.
"The Congress built the 45 TMC Pulichintala project and submerged 21 villages in order to supply waters to the Andhra region, but ignored Telangana," he lamented.
He claimed that the Kaleshwaram project was being undertaken to impound large quantities of water to cater to the needs of the farmers during the summers, and would help irrigate two to three crops each year.
The State government was trying to reduce the submergence of lands, and also provide fair compensation to all oustees, he said.
He also said that the TRS-led government had taken up several welfare schemes for the farmers including cold storages, godowns and marketyards spending Rs. 1,024 crores.
The projects would not stop under any circumstances, regardless of the Opposition's protests, Rao said.