Hyderabad: Telangana’s Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister, Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, on Friday highlighted the Congress government’s landmark achievements in agriculture, public distribution, and irrigation, declaring record paddy procurement and robust initiatives to uplift farmers and the poor.
Chairing a comprehensive review meeting at the Suryapet District Collector’s Office, along with Ministers Tummala Nageswara Rao and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Uttam Kumar Reddy outlined how the government’s policies had delivered unprecedented results across key sectors.
Record Paddy Procurement
Uttam Kumar Reddy revealed that under the Congress government, the state had achieved record paddy procurement—the highest in the 11-year history of Telangana, even surpassing the days of undivided Andhra Pradesh. “During the last Kharif season, farmers cultivated 46.7 lakh acres and harvested a record 103.5 lakh metric tonnes of paddy,” he said. “In the ongoing Yasangi season, cultivation has expanded to nearly 60 lakh acres, with an anticipated yield of 130 lakh metric tonnes.” He added, “No previous government has procured paddy on this scale. Our administration is committed to ensuring that every single grain harvested by our farmers is procured without delay.”
Fair Ration Distribution
Shifting focus to the public distribution system, Uttam Kumar Reddy announced that the government was determined to provide ration cards to every eligible family, whether above or below the poverty line. He accused the previous BRS government of stalling the ration card process for almost a decade, leaving thousands of families without access to subsidised grains. “We are correcting this injustice. No family will be left behind,” he asserted.
He explained that the Congress government was providing six kilograms of fine rice free of cost to each beneficiary, purchased from the open market at ₹40 per kilogram. “We have already spent ₹10,665 crore to distribute quality rice to 2.81 crore people nearly three crore beneficiaries,” he said. “This is a historic commitment to ensure no one in Telangana goes hungry.”
Uttam Kumar Reddy criticised the previous government’s practice of distributing substandard ‘Doddu Biyyam’ (coarse rice), forcing people to compromise on quality. “After we came to power, we replaced that with fine rice, bringing real relief to every household,” he said.
He also condemned the massive leakages in the PDS under the previous administration, where 10–30% of rice was allegedly diverted. “We have plugged those leaks and now every beneficiary is receiving their rightful six kilograms of rice,” he said.
Irrigation Sector Reforms
Turning to irrigation, Uttam Kumar Reddy issued a stern directive to officials to complete all pending land acquisition and forest clearance processes related to irrigation projects without delay. “I want seamless coordination between irrigation officials, revenue staff, contractors, and the media. If there’s a hurdle be it a position paper or a forest clearance call me directly,” he said. “Delays or inefficiencies will not be tolerated.”
He highlighted the decades-long neglect of key irrigation projects, using the Sriram Sagar Project (SRSP) as an example. “For 45 years, no government took up desilting or de-sedimentation of SRSP, leaving it unable to hold water,” he said. “We have now launched a comprehensive desilting and de-sedimentation programme across all major irrigation projects, including SRSP and Nagarjuna Sagar, to restore their water-holding capacity and ensure farmers get the water they need.”
Uttam Kumar Reddy lambasted the BRS government for “destroying the irrigation sector” and leaving it in disarray. “We are now cleaning up the mess they left behind. To strengthen the sector, we’ve already recruited 1,100 engineers to oversee projects and streamline operations,” he said.
He also slammed the previous government’s handling of the Kaleshwaram Project, alleging that the original Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Pranahita Chevella Project, conceptualised by the Congress, could have been completed at ₹38,000 crore. “The BRS government escalated the cost to over ₹1 lakh crore and left us with a failed project,” he charged. “They didn’t just mortgage us they mortgaged our future generations.”
Collaboration and Accountability
Praising his cabinet colleagues, Uttam Kumar Reddy commended District In-Charge Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao as a model of integrity and hard work. He also applauded Komatireddy Venkat Reddy for his dynamic leadership in the Roads & Buildings Department and thanked Tummala and the Agriculture Department for helping achieve record agricultural yields.
He appealed to every official from irrigation engineers to revenue staff to the police—to be accessible to the people around the clock. “Every complaint must be addressed swiftly,” he said. “We are committed to a transparent and accountable administration that serves the poor and common people.”
Issuing a stern warning, he said any official found engaging in corruption or negligence would face strict action. “No wrongdoing that harms farmers or the public will be tolerated,” he declared. He encouraged the media to expose irregularities so immediate action could be taken.
Looking ahead to the upcoming Kharif season, Uttam Kumar Reddy announced that ayacut plans would be finalised in advance to ensure fair water distribution. “We will involve MPs, MLAs, and public representatives in the planning process,” he said.
Concluding, he appealed to all officials, contractors, public representatives, and media personnel to work in close coordination to ensure that every irrigation and civil supplies project progresses efficiently and with full transparency. “Our government will not tolerate any inefficiency or corruption. We will ensure that our achievements leave a mark in the history of Telangana,” he said.
