HYDERABAD: Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy strongly countered former minister K.T. Rama Rao’s (KTR) allegations regarding irrigation projects and land acquisition. Addressing the Assembly, Revanth Reddy defended his government’s policies while accusing the previous BRS administration of financial mismanagement and political deception.
He asserted that water for projects like Mallanna Sagar, Ranganayaka Sagar, and Konda Pochamma Sagar was sourced from Sripada Yellampalli and Sriram Sagar projects, dismissing KTR’s claims. “Your ₹1 lakh crore project is a complete failure,” he said, referring to Kaleshwaram.
Regarding land acquisition, he criticized KTR for making baseless accusations and reminded him of past incidents. “It was your government that forcibly acquired land in Yetigadda Kishtapur and Vemulaghat, where farmers were even trampled by boots,” he said. He stated that Congress had protested not against land acquisition but to ensure higher compensation for the affected people.
Revanth Reddy questioned KTR about allegations that water from Konda Pochamma Sagar was diverted to his farmhouse and that Harish Rao also owned a farmhouse near Ranganayaka Sagar. He challenged KTR to agree to an inquiry, proposing a fact-finding committee to investigate. “Are you ready for an investigation? If yes, let’s form a committee,” he dared.
He also criticized the BRS government for its inconsistent policies on land acquisition, pointing out that in Lachapet, land acquisition victims were being compensated ₹20 lakh along with ₹5 lakh for Indiramma houses. He accused a former BRS MLA of encouraging villagers to threaten officials to prevent land acquisition.
Slamming the Kaleshwaram project’s financial mismanagement, Revanth Reddy alleged that the redesign of the Pranahita-Chevella project increased costs from ₹36,000 crore to ₹1.5 lakh crore. He claimed that the BRS government had already paid ₹1.02 lakh crore in bills for Kaleshwaram before leaving office. He further cited a commission report that accused the previous administration of fraud and promised to present the report in the next Assembly session.
Targeting KTR personally, he recalled how BRS leader KCR was attacked in Kamareddy and questioned why KTR continued to defend a rejected administration. He also asked whether BRS supported key infrastructure projects such as the Musi River development, Metro Rail expansion, and the Regional Ring Road.
Defending his leadership, he pointed out that his administration secured ₹2 lakh crore in investments during the Davos trip. Responding to KTR’s criticism of his English skills, he said, “China, Japan, and Germany dominate the global economy without English. I studied in a government school and became CM—why does that bother you?”
Concluding his speech, he predicted that Congress would retain power for another five years. In a sharp remark, he compared KTR’s alleged ambition to that of Nepal’s Crown Prince Dipendra, who killed his family to seize power, urging him to use his intelligence for Telangana’s benefit rather than internal conflicts.
