Hyderabad: Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt. N Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Monday that the Congress government was working sincerely and tirelessly to serve the people of Telangana, while former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao was trying to mislead the public after causing extensive damage during his ten years in power.
Speaking at the foundation-laying ceremony for an additional block at the Nalgonda Collectorate, alongside Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and other leaders, Uttam Kumar Reddy accused KCR of shamelessly criticising a government that was focused on rebuilding the state. He remarked that KCR had driven Telangana into a deep financial crisis and was now targeting those striving to restore the state’s progress.
He pointed out that although elections consumed nearly five to six months after the Congress assumed office, the government had not wasted a single day since. “Since taking oath as a Minister on 7 December 2023, I have not taken even a single day’s leave. We are working round the clock to serve the people,” he said.
Highlighting failures of the previous government, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the BRS administration spent ₹1.81 lakh crore on irrigation projects but failed to significantly expand the ayacut. He cited that despite ₹27,000 crore spent on the Palamuru-Rangareddy project and ₹9,000 crore on the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Project, not a single acre was irrigated.
He also criticised the Kaleshwaram project, where an investment of nearly ₹1 lakh crore ended in disaster due to poor design, construction, and maintenance. He alleged that BRS leaders were more interested in commissions than in serving farmers.
In contrast, Uttam Kumar Reddy asserted that the Congress government was committed to completing all pending irrigation projects in a transparent and honest manner. He pledged that the long-delayed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project would finally become a reality under the Congress government.
He further accused KCR of betraying Telangana’s farmers by agreeing to an unfair Krishna river water allocation during bifurcation, settling for just 299 TMCs. The Congress government, he said, was now fighting to secure Telangana’s rightful share.
Taking a strong swipe at KCR, he said, “Since losing power, KCR has not attended even a single session of the Telangana Assembly. He is afraid to face the elected representatives, preferring instead to attend public meetings like in Warangal to spread lies.”
Uttam Kumar Reddy also highlighted the achievements of the Congress government, noting that Telangana was poised to achieve the highest paddy production in the country, projecting 281 lakh metric tonnes for 2024–25.
He praised the state’s free fine rice distribution scheme, calling it India’s largest food security initiative, and explained how it replaced the previously distributed coarse grains, which were largely inedible and led to massive diversion and corruption worth ₹7,000–8,000 crore annually.
Exposing the failures of the previous regime in supporting the poor, he said that in 10 years, the BRS government had added only 49,479 new white ration cards, ignoring the needs of lakhs of families. In contrast, the Congress government has already received around 30 lakh new applications and plans to extend benefits to about 84% of the population after verification.
Earlier in the day, Uttam Kumar Reddy led a huge bike rally through Nalgonda town and inaugurated three Lift Irrigation Schemes under the AMR SLBC HLC system at Bakkathaikunta, Ponugode, and Narsingbatla-Domalapally, built at a cost of over ₹46 crore. He also laid the foundation stone for the construction of an additional block at the Nalgonda Collectorate at a cost of ₹36 crore. Addressing a large gathering, he reaffirmed the Congress government’s commitment to completing all pending projects and bringing genuine development to Telangana.
Today, I along with Minister @KomatireddyKVR and other leaders, participated in a bike rally in Nalgonda town before inaugurating three Lift Irrigation Schemes and laying the foundation stone for an additional block at the Nalgonda Collectorate. pic.twitter.com/RCVa3pUfdE
— Uttam Kumar Reddy (@UttamINC) April 28, 2025
