BRS questions Revanth Reddy on Palamuru destructions, drought relief and irrigation action

Hyderabad: The BRS blamed the Congress government for pushing the Palamuru region back into distress without utilising available Krishna and Godavari river waters. Party leaders questioned Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s failure to offer clarity on Rythu Bharosa for the ongoing Yasangi season, compensation for crop losses and the renewal of Rythu Bima insurance.

The party demanded the immediate operation of the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) to save crops and replenish groundwater. It said the ruling Congress had failed to complete irrigation works and provide relief to farmers facing drought.

Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan on Tuesday, former Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy said the much-hyped ‘Rythannatho Atmeeya Sabha’ convened by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy at Kodangal had nothing to offer farmers. He said that instead of announcing relief, the Chief Minister had asked farmers not to cultivate paddy.

He demanded an assurance on compensation for around 24.40 lakh acres of crop loss officially acknowledged by the government, stating that the actual extent could be around 30 lakh acres. He recalled that the previous BRS government had provided Rs 10,000 per acre even when existing norms did not permit such assistance.

Niranjan Reddy said around 245 TMCft of water had flowed down the Jurala project this year, including 75 TMCft officially and another 20 TMCft allegedly diverted by Andhra Pradesh from Srisailam. He said that by operating the PRLIS pumps for 45 days, the government could have filled the Narlapur, Yedula and Vattem reservoirs and helped recharge groundwater. He also accused the government of cancelling canal tenders after coming to power and neglecting temporary repairs that could have enabled irrigation.

He said the project, substantially completed during K Chandrashekhar Rao’s tenure at a cost of Rs 35,000 crore, could have transformed the Palamuru region if its water had been put to use. He questioned whether Revanth Reddy had created any additional acreage in the Palamuru region over the last 35 months. He pointed out that despite sending its Ministers to Karnataka, the ruling Congress had failed to secure water releases.

Former Minister V Srinivas Goud questioned the promise of Rs 20,000 crore annually for Palamuru, asking whether even Rs 6 crore had been spent in three years. He stated that the region was again witnessing migration, reversing the gains made during the BRS regime. He demanded the completion of pending projects and a focus on addressing farmers’ distress instead of blaming and abusing the previous BRS government.

Former MLAs Anjaiah Yadav, Jaipal Yadav, Ala Venkateshwar Reddy, Beeram Harshavardhan Reddy, Patnam Narender Reddy and Koppula Mahesh Reddy were among those present.