Boinapalli Vinod Kumar, the vice chairman of the State Planning Commission, has demanded an apology from Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu for making false statements about the Telangana government’s request for national status for the Kaleshwar project. Vinod Kumar stated that it was unacceptable for a Union Minister to speak lies in the country’s Parliament and that Tudu should withdraw his false statement and issue a fresh statement with facts. He further added that if Tudu fails to do so, a Privilege Motion would be moved in the house.
Vinod Kumar clarified that on July 20, 2018, as Karimnagar MP, he had asked the Central government, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to give national status to either the Kaleshwaram project on Godavari River or the Palamuru Rangareddy project on Krishna River, both of which are being constructed in Telangana. He also reminded that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had submitted a petition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers within five days of the formation of the State to give national status to either of these two projects.
Vinod Kumar alleged that the Union Minister Tudu had lied to the country’s highest legislative body by stating that the Telangana State government did not originally want to give national status to the Kaleshwaram project. Vinod Kumar urged Tudu to amend his false statements and come up with a fresh statement with facts in Parliament. He also emphasized that the Kaleshwaram project deserves national status.
Vinod Kumar further highlighted the double standards of the Central government by recalling that the then Union Minister Nitin Gatkari had announced in Parliament that no project in the country would be given national status. However, during the elections in BJP-ruled State Uttar Pradesh, the Ken Betwa project received Rs 45,000 crore, and the Central government announced that it was giving national status to the Upper Bhadra project in the State of Karnataka with Rs 15,000 crore. Vinod Kumar alleged that this was a raw deal to the State.
Vinod Kumar concluded by stating that if Union Minister of State for Water Power Bishweshwar Tudu listens to his words, he will find that they are in the records of Parliament. Therefore, Vinod Kumar demanded an apology from Tudu and urged him to issue a fresh statement with facts in Parliament.
