PNS|Hyderabad
Senior BRS MLA Harish Rao said he had submitted documentary evidence before the Kaleshwaram Commission on Monday and had refused to politicise the process.
He said he was asked around 20 questions. It is learnt that to his answers, the Commission responded, “You seem to have come well prepared,” to which Harish replied, “I always come prepared.”
Before heading to the BRKR Bhavan, he went to Telangana Bhavan and started from there with a huge rally of BRS activists. Later in the day, he visited KCR at the Erravelli farmhouse and discussed the proceedings.
Speaking at the media point in BRK Bhavan after deposing before the Justice PC Ghose Commission, Harish revealed that an extensive discussion took place on why the barrage site was shifted from Tummidihatti to Medigadda.
He clarified that the BRS government had tried to construct the project at Tummidihatti.
“I reviewed the Pranahita Project and found that the previous Congress Government had invited tenders without initiating even headworks,” he stated. Harish recounted multiple talks with Maharashtra Congress leaders, including the then Irrigation Minister Hasan Mushrif, who had categorically refused to allow a 152-metre barrage at Tummidihatti due to public resistance in submersible villages.
“Even Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan conveyed to the then AP CM Kiran Kumar Reddy that they cannot permit the project at that height,” he said, adding that five to six rounds of inter-state meetings had failed to yield approval.
He explained that attempts by KCR to convince Maharashtra’s BJP government, including direct appeals to CM Devendra Fadnavis in the presence of Governor Vidyasagar Rao, also failed.
“Fadnavis made it clear that his party had opposed the project earlier and now also is firm in refusing permission,” Harish said.
He said that despite seven years of Congress rule at the Centre, in Maharashtra, and United AP, the party could not secure even a single clearance or acquire land for the project.
Harish pointed out that even Telangana Congress ministers like Komatireddy and Uttam Kumar Reddy failed to take up the issue.
He said that the Central Water Commission had flagged the poor water availability at Tummidihatti and advised its relocation. It also objected to the proposed reservoir capacities.
Based on these inputs, KCR requested a survey by the Central agency WAPCOS, which later recommended Medigadda. “WAPCOS and CWC both approved Medigadda. That’s why we went ahead,” he said.
On the question of whether Kaleshwaram Corporation had the required approvals, Harish said he had submitted all relevant documents to confirm that it did.
When asked about changes in Annaram and Sundilla barrage locations, he clarified that those were based on technical advice after detailed engineering surveys.
Responding to queries on storing capacity, Harish said the reservoirs were designed to store 141 TMCs of water.
