Hyderabad, April 22 (IANS) Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao on Wednesday claimed that the High Court verdict has completely exposed and dismantled what he described as false propaganda and a sustained conspiracy allegedly carried out by the Congress party against the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.

He termed the judgment as a strong reaffirmation of the principle that truth ultimately prevails and that politically motivated narratives cannot stand the test of judicial scrutiny.

Addressing a press conference here, he said that the verdict represents a clear and significant victory for Telangana’s farmers and citizens who, according to him, have long benefited from the project in terms of irrigation support and agricultural development.

He was reacting to the High Court order on the petitions filed by former Chief Minister and BRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), former minister T. Harish Rao, and two others, who had challenged the report of the P. C. Ghose Commission, which was constituted to probe alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project.

The High Court barred the state government from taking any action against the petitioners on the basis of the findings and observations contained in the Commission’s report, thereby providing interim relief to the petitioners in the matter.

KTR criticised the Congress party for what he alleged was a deliberate attempt to mislead the public by branding the Kaleshwaram project as a “failed project” through what he described as false narratives, selective presentation of facts, and exaggerated claims.

He remarked that the High Court’s judgment has delivered a fitting and decisive response to those who, according to him, indulged in reckless, baseless, and malicious propaganda for political gains and partisan interests.

Highlighting the scale and significance of the project, KTR reiterated that the Kaleshwaram project is not just a single barrage but a massive and complex engineering feat comprising multiple barrages, reservoirs, pump houses, and an extensive canal network spread across several districts.

He noted that the project has significantly expanded irrigation coverage in Telangana, transforming agricultural practices, improving water availability, and strengthening the rural economy across large parts of the state.

Addressing the issue of the Medigadda barrage, KTR clarified that only two pillars required repairs and that the cost involved in addressing the issue was minimal when compared to the total expenditure incurred on the entire project.

He alleged that even these relatively minor issues were deliberately exaggerated and politicised by leaders of the Congress and the BJP in an attempt to tarnish the image of the project as well as that of former Chief Minister KCR.

KTR further accused both the Congress and the BJP of colluding to create what he described as a false narrative around the project, while ignoring serious incidents and technical issues in other irrigation works in the state.

He questioned why central agencies failed to respond with the same urgency and seriousness in those cases, alleging selective attention and political bias.

He demanded that immediate steps be taken by the authorities concerned to repair and operationalise the Kaleshwaram system and to resume water lifting operations without any further delay, especially in view of the pressing needs of farmers ahead of the agricultural season.

–IANS

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