‘Commission politics’ behind notices: KTR on Kaleshwaram probe

Suspects that the real agenda behind the notices is to demolish existing barrages, invite fresh tenders for reconstruction and thereby, gain 20-30 per cent commissions

Hyderabad: Amid reports of the PC Ghose Commission issuing notices summoning former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao for inquiry, BRS working president KT Rama Rao said the Congress was indulging in “commission politics” by targeting the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) under the guise of regulatory notices. He suspected that the real agenda behind the notices was to demolish existing barrages, invite fresh tenders for reconstruction and thereby, gain 20-30 per cent commissions.

“There is no official communication received yet. Once we receive the notices, we will respond appropriately,” he said, during an informal interaction with mediapersons at Telangana Bhavan on Thursday. He also stated that the notices were part of the Congress-BJP conspiracy to deflect public attention from the real issues and the government’s failures in the State.

The BRS working president pointed out that the smear campaign against the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) was exposed in the Supreme Court. He asserted that the truth behind allegations against the Kaleshwaram project would also come out soon. He said even the Supreme Court and Central Water Commission had recognised the engineering significance of Kaleshwaram, while the Chief Minister remained ignorant and failed to see what experts across the country had already acknowledged.

He reminded that the Justice PC Ghose Commission had said that it had completed its report and inquiry. “Why has the deadline been extended again?” he asked, demanding for immediate completion of the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy project to deliver irrigation water to farmers of Palamuru region.

Targeting Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Rama Rao said the former suffered from multiple personality disorder, and was making contradictory statements on the same issue every other day. He slammed the Chief Minister’s focus on the Miss World pageant even as farmers were dying by suicide and crops were being destroyed due to rains.

“More than 580 farmers have died by suicide. Paddy is being washed away by rains. But Revanth Reddy is busy attending Miss World events four times, instead of visiting the families of the deceased farmers and the victims of Gulzar Houz fire mishap. Is this the Chief Minister that Telangana deserves?” he asked.

The former Minister also slammed the Congress government for allegedly spending over Rs 200 crore on the beauty pageant while claiming the State treasury was empty. “Ministers have turned into tour guides for beauty contestants, as even CPI leader K Narayana pointed out. Is this governance or a fashion show?” he asked.

He ridiculed the showcasing of government projects to Miss World contestants, questioning their political relevance.

“Every project, building shown to them was built by the previous BRS government or the Nizam. “Can Revanth Reddy name even one structure built by the Congress, among those visited by Miss World participants?” he asked. He said the event was being used to distract the public from pressing governance failures.