Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy strongly criticized the previous BRS government for spending Rs one lakh crore on the Kaleshwaram lift scheme, which he referred to as a “collapsed” structure. He warned that if the government takes action on the Kaleshwaram issue, the entire irrigation department could face punishment.
The CM made these remarks while handing over job appointment orders to newly recruited Assistant Executive Engineers (AEEs) in the State Irrigation department at Jala Soudha in Hyderabad. He explained that the Kaleshwaram project has become a significant burden on the state. He questioned the officials and asked them to clarify who was responsible for the collapse — whether it was the politicians or the officials. Revanth Reddy warned that if responsibilities are not fixed, the whole irrigation wing might be dissolved.
The Chief Minister also pointed out that officials within the irrigation department were blaming each other for the problems with the Kaleshwaram project. He said that these issues could have been avoided if politicians’ wrong decisions were not executed. Despite spending Rs one lakh crore, the Kaleshwaram scheme has not provided irrigation to even one lakh acres.
Revanth Reddy urged engineers to regularly visit project sites and monitor progress themselves, rather than relying solely on reports. He recalled that earlier, engineers used to conduct inspections early in the morning and write detailed reports. However, this practice has stopped, which is a concern. The government has already ordered officials to resume regular field visits.
The CM further mentioned that Rs 2 lakh crore has been spent on various projects, but many are still incomplete. He instructed officials to ensure that this does not happen again. He also warned that officials appointed through recommendations should be sent to distant locations as punishment if they are not performing their duties properly. Revanth Reddy stressed that officials should focus on their responsibilities, rather than securing favorable postings, and expressed confidence that Telangana could become a role model for the country once all pending projects are completed.
