“If people cast their vote for the alliance led by Congress, it will be a death knell to Telangana as they will prevent the progress and construction of projects. What does Rahul Gandhi know to talk about Kaleshwaram project?” said IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao at an election meeting at Lingampet mandal headquarters in Yellareddy constituency on Tuesday.
Referring to the AICC president’s address at Kamareddy on October 20, he said it is wrong to say that the cost of the project escalated to ₹1 lakh crore when it is ₹80,000 crore, he said. “It was the Congress which said that the project cost would be Rs.17,000 crore in 2007 and it increased it to ₹34,000 crore in the following year. In 2012 it prepared a report with Rs.40,000 crore,” Mr. Rama Rao explained.
Challenges Rahul
“After we came to power, we undertook the project with ₹80,000 crore to provide water to 16 lakh acres. We chalked out a plan to give 10 tmcf water to Yellareddy constituency after the completion of five reservoirs as part of the Kaleswaram project,” he said, challenging Rahul to talk on the issues of the State after winning elections in Uttar Pradesh. Ridiculing Rahul’s criticism on Kaleshwaram and the TRS government, Mr. Rama Rao said the former could not ensure the victory of his party candidate in the Rae Bareli municipal elections. He said the Congress leader is talking of his party’s greatness here while getting defeated in several States.
‘Dhana yagnam’
“Was it not the Congress which resorted to ‘dhana yagnam’ in the name of ‘jala yagnam’ during its rule in the State?” he questioned and said that Sonia Gandhi did not give Telangana willingly or on her own, but was forced to concede to the demand fearing public backlash. He appealed to the people of Yellareddy and Kamareddy to re-elect E. Ravinder Reddy and G. Govardhan for the development of their backward and parched region.