Hyderabad: KT Rama Rao, the working president of BRS, expressed his concerns on Sunday about the Musi River beautification project proposed by the State government. He pointed out a dramatic increase in the project’s estimated costs.
Initially, the project was estimated to cost Rs 50,000 crore. However, this amount was later revised to Rs 70,000 crore. Now, an enormous Rs 1.5 lakh crore is being proposed for the project.
KT Rama Rao mentioned that the previous Telangana government had already completed 100% sewerage treatment at a cost of Rs 3,866 crore. They had planned to rejuvenate, beautify, and develop the Musi River with an estimated budget of Rs 16,634 crore. This plan also included an expressway from ORR West (Manchirevula) to ORR East (Pratapa Singaram). He questioned the significant increase in project costs and raised doubts about the current government’s calculations and intentions.
The Congress party had earlier criticised the Kaleshwaram Project, which cost Rs 80,000 crore but greatly benefitted Telangana’s farmers. Now, the proposed Rs 1.5 lakh crore expenditure for the Musi River beautification has sparked debates and skepticism across the State. KT Rama Rao posed several key questions to the government: How many farmers will benefit from the Musi project? What is the storage capacity in TMCs? How many acres will come under irrigation? What will be the increase in crop yield? What industrial needs will be met? How many new large reservoirs will be constructed?
KT Rama Rao also questioned Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s preference for the Musi project over the nearly completed Palamuru-Ranga Reddy project.
