Minister Harish Rao lashed out at Congress, TDP

Mahabubnagar, Oct 16: The Telangana Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao lashed out at the Congress and Telugu Desam parties in a meeting for neglecting the backward Mahbubnagar district.

"Though Kalwakurthy project was sanctioned in 1984, works began only in 2005 after 20 years. The works began only after the TRS government came to power, he said. The government provided water to 4.50 lakh acres in 2016 and another 6.40 lakh acres this year through various projects. In all, about Rs 2,100 crore had been spent in the past two years" Harish Rao added.

Addressing a public meeting in Kalwakurthy on Sunday, Harish Rao said about 20 lakh acres of land would be irrigated in the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district.

He said the state government had spent about Rs 1200 crore alone for Kalwakuthy Lift Irrigation Scheme and the balance works would be completed soon and water provided to another 70,000 acres soon.

Earlier, the Minister released water under Kalwakurthy lift irrigation project at Madharam village (at 122 km) in Urokonda mandal in Nagarkurnool district.

For the first time, people are getting Krishna water through this scheme which will irrigate about 33,000 acres. Once the project is completed for another 40 km, it would irrigate another 70,000 acres, he said.