Nagarkurnool: Harish Rao gives strong counter to opponents

Telangana Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao checkmated the alliance partners of the Congress-led Prajakutami with his questions during the ‘Yuva Garjana’ road show in Nagarkurnool town on Wednesday.“The people of Nagarkurnool have just started reaping the fruits of Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation Scheme which was delivered by the TRS government. On the other hand, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu keeps writing letters to Delhi demanding that the motors of KLIS, Bheema and Nettempadu be switched off immediately so that he can take Krishna water from Srilsailam to Rayalaseema through Pothireddipadu project built in record time by the then Andhra rulers. This, after they failed to complete KLIS,” he said, displaying Naidu’s letters to the crowd.

He asked the people to imagine what would happen if Congress comes to power with the support of Naidu, who has been rigorously opposing irrigation projects like Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme. “If TRS is the party which fought against Andhra imperialists, Congress has become a party which is carrying such an imperialist party on its shoulders,” he said.

He also reminded the people that when Congress backtracked on the December 9, 2009 statement of P Chidambaram in support of Telangana State’s formation, only the TRS MLAs were brave enough to resign from their seats. The Congress went back on its promise after the then Congress Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Naidu launched a joint campaign of Samaikyandhra by asking their MLAs to resign.

“Congress’ Uttam Kumar Reddy and Jana Reddy had walked out of the TJAC saying they would resign. When TDP submitted a fictitious letter to the Centre in favour of Telangana, they were removed from the JAC. Professor Kodandaram had campaigned in 2014 against voting for Congress and TDP as they were seen as Andhra imperialist parties. Now how can he join the Prajakutami for just a couple of tickets?” he questioned.

He said that if Congress was in power, even 10 years down the line, KLIS wouldn’t have been completed and that it was only because of the TRS that the project was delivered. The project released 26 TMC water into canals and minor irrigation tanks last kharif and the same would be released for the present kharif season too, making the entire ayacut under the project green and gushing with water.

“Before elections in 2009, the then Chief Minister Y S Rajashekhar Reddy on the one hand had promised to wash the feet of Chevella Chellemma (Sabitha Indra Reddy) with Pranahitha-Chevella project water and the head of Gadwal Chellemma (D K Aruna) with Palamuru-Rangareddy project water and on the other, was attending public meetings right after the elections in Nandyal in Rayalaseema, assuring them of Pothireddipadu and Pulichintala projects which he completed while pushing the Telangana projects into oblivion. Why were our chellemmas silent when YSR was talking in Rayalaseema, creating a scare among the people by saying people would need passports to visit Hyderabad if Telangana was formed?” he asked.