Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka
| Photo Credit: File Photo
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has criticised BRS leaders for “shamelessly” promoting the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) as a “mega project” despite serious safety concerns raised by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA). The NDSA has flagged the project as extremely dangerous, citing discrepancies between its design and actual construction.
Speaking at a public meeting in Bhupalpally on Tuesday, Mr. Vikramarka launched a scathing attack on the previous BRS government, alleging that ₹1 lakh crore was misappropriated in the name of KLIP. “How can BRS leaders call this an engineering marvel,” he asked.
He referred to the collapse of piers and structural flaws in the Medigadda barrage, pointing out that the NDSA had confirmed the construction did not match the approved design. In contrast, he said, irrigation projects built by successive Congress governments, such as SRSP, Sripada Yellampally, Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam, have stood the test of time without such failures.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Vikramarka and IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu inaugurated a 33/11 kV sub-station and laid foundation stones for three power sub-stations worth ₹8.70 crore in the district.
Continuing his attack on the previous administration, Mr. Vikramarka blamed the Kaleshwaram project fiasco on the undue interference of BRS leaders in engineering decisions. He said qualified engineers were sidelined and political interference compromised the integrity of the design and construction.
Highlighting the Congress government’s achievements, he pointed out that Telangana recorded a peak power demand of 17,162 MW in March 2025 — 2,000 MW more than March 2023 during the BRS regime — without a single minute of power interruption. He called it a significant milestone in the State’s power sector performance.
Mr. Vikramarka also said the government had released ₹16,000 crore to power utilities under the 24-hour free power scheme for farmers. In addition, free power is being supplied to 50,000 families (up to 200 units) and all government institutions.
Later, at a review meeting with senior officials of the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) in Bhupalpally, the Deputy Chief Minister urged the management to diversify into other mining sectors beyond coal to adapt to evolving market trends. He also suggested appointing consultants to assess global demand and availability of critical minerals.
He said strengthening the SCCL, a public sector enterprise with over 45,000 employees, is a key goal of the State government to ensure livelihood opportunities for future generations. He emphasised that the entire region spanning the vast coal belt must benefit in terms of welfare and development.
Published – June 18, 2025 01:12 am IST