Minister Jupally Krishna Rao stated that survival chances for SLBC tunnel workers are minimal. He criticized BRS leader Harish Rao for politicizing the incident and questioned BRS’s inaction on the project.
HYDERABAD: Telangana Minister Jupally Krishna Rao has indicated that the chances of survival for workers trapped in the SLBC (Srisailam Left Bank Canal) tunnel are bleak. Speaking to the media on Friday, he provided a grim assessment of the ongoing rescue efforts while also criticizing BRS leader and former minister Harish Rao for politicizing the tragedy.
Jupally accused Harish Rao of using the tunnel accident for political gain, questioning why the BRS government had left the SLBC project incomplete during its decade-long rule.
“For ten years, why did the BRS keep the SLBC project pending? Why did they excavate only 200 kilometers of the tunnel and leave the rest? Was it because they anticipated minimal benefits or feared that completing it would credit the Congress?” Jupally asked.
He further accused the BRS of exploiting tragedies for political mileage, asserting that the party had no moral ground to comment on the SLBC project. Drawing comparisons to past incidents, he pointed out that during the Palamuru-Rangareddy project accident, where six individuals lost their lives, neither KCR nor Harish Rao visited the site. Similarly, he noted their absence during the Kondagattu bus accident, which claimed 70 lives.
Regarding the SLBC tunnel crisis, Jupally painted a bleak picture: “Barring a miracle, the chances of survival for the eight individuals trapped in the tunnel are minimal.” He stated that the rescue operations could take another two days and added that if the company had not promptly alerted authorities, the death toll might have reached 40.
Responding to Harish Rao’s criticism of his shift from BRS to Congress, Jupally clarified that he left because the aspirations of Telangana’s martyrs and people had remained unfulfilled under the BRS rule. He urged Harish Rao to refrain from “playing politics over dead bodies” and instead focus on genuine governance.
