Hyderabad: Irrigation, Food & Civil Supplies Minister Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday said Telangana would oppose the Banakacherla project at every level, citing clear violations of the Reorganisation Act and the 1980 Godavari agreement.
Speaking in Peddapalli district, he was joined by Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, D. Sridhar Babu, Tummala Nageswara Rao, and Adluri Laxman Kumar. Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that the Central Water Commission, the Godavari River Management Board, and the Polavaram Authority had all withheld approvals in response to Telangana’s objections.
Banakacherla project violates agreements; Centre withheld approvals
Uttam Kumar Reddy stressed that the Banakacherla project violated several agreements and the Centre withheld its approvals, adding that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had officially raised the state’s concerns at a recent meeting in Delhi.
He accused BRS leaders of misleading the public and condemned Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh’s statement vowing to continue the Banakacherla project. Telangana, he said, would firmly block any attempt to begin construction.
According to Uttam Kumar Reddy, the Centre’s stance against the project was based entirely on Telangana’s formal representations. Calling it an illegal venture, he emphasised that the proposed works clearly violated inter-state water-sharing laws and the Reorganisation Act.
He also alleged that former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao betrayed Telangana’s interests by supporting the diversion of Godavari waters to Rayalaseema. Moving forward, Uttam said, Telangana would revive old irrigation projects and initiate new ones like Ichampalli to fully utilise its share of river water.
Kaleshwaram Project, welfare reforms under focus
Turning to the Kaleshwaram project, Uttam Kumar Reddy criticised the ₹1 lakh crore expenditure, stating that the Medigadda barrage had failed to irrigate even a single acre. “Even in Manthani, where the project passes through, not one acre has received water,” he noted. Nevertheless, Telangana has achieved record paddy output, he added.
Highlighting recent welfare efforts, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that 3.17 crore people now receive fine rice under the Congress government—up from 2.81 crore beneficiaries under the previous BRS administration, which distributed lower-quality rice. He also pointed out that ration card coverage had increased significantly—from 89 lakh to 98.59 lakh—with 8.64 lakh new cards issued since December.
The Minister further revealed that the Cabinet would soon discuss the Justice PC Ghose Commission’s report on the Kaleshwaram project. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting Telangana’s irrigation rights and preventing the outflow of Godavari water to other states.
బనకచర్లకు
తెలంగాణ ప్రభుత్వం వ్యతిరేకంబనకచర్లపై ఏపీ మంత్రి లోకేష్ వ్యాఖ్యలు సరైనవి కావు
పోలవరం-బనకచర్లపై నేనే స్వయంగా కేంద్రానికి లేఖ రాశాను
ఈ ప్రాజెక్టుపై బీఆర్ఎస్ ఆరోపణలన్నీ నిరాధారం
గత ప్రభుత్వం జాగ్రత్తలు తీసుకుంటే ఈ పరిస్థితి వచ్చేది కాదు
– శ్రీ ఉత్తమ్ కుమార్… pic.twitter.com/37UV9DdTOM
— Telangana Congress (@INCTelangana) August 3, 2025
Ramagundam gets boost with lift irrigation scheme
Earlier in the day, the Minister inaugurated the Ramagundam Lift Irrigation Scheme at Anthargone mandal. The scheme, he said, will bring irrigation to 13,396 acres of agricultural land. He commended local MLA Makkan Singh Raj Thakur for his relentless efforts in bringing development projects to the constituency.
Later, Uttam Kumar Reddy participated in ration card distribution drives in Dharmapuri, Manakonduru, and Choppadandi constituencies, accompanied by fellow ministers and party leaders.
