Hyderabad: Telangana Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy sharply criticized the handling of the Kaleshwaram Project, calling it the state’s largest undertaking initiated by the then BRS government. Speaking in the Assembly on the Justice P.C. Ghosh Commission report, he alleged that the Medigadda, Sundilla, and Annaram barrages have been lying unused for 20 months. He claimed that while 195 TMC of water was initially projected to be lifted annually, only 125 TMC was lifted over five years, with 35 TMC released into the sea. According to Reddy, just 101 TMC of water was effectively used from the massive project, calling it a disaster unparalleled in any other state since independence.
కాళేశ్వరం ప్రాజెక్టు ఓ పెద్ద మ్యాన్ మేడ్ డిజాస్టర్ – మంత్రి ఉత్తమ్ కుమార్ రెడ్డి
ఇంత ఫెయిల్యూర్ ప్రాజెక్టు ప్రపంచంలో ఎక్కడా ఉండదు
రూ.లక్ష కోట్లతో నిర్మించిన ప్రాజెక్టు ద్వారా ఐదేళ్లలో వాడుకున్న నీళ్లు 101 TMC లు మాత్రమే
రూ.21 వేల కోట్లతో నిర్మించిన మేడిగడ్డ, సుందిళ్ల,… pic.twitter.com/wZNMUVSilS
— Tharun Reddy (@Tarunkethireddy) August 31, 2025
Reddy also highlighted that the NDSA report indicated indiscriminate construction across dams and barrages, resulting in structural stress at Medigadda.
దాదాపు లక్షన్నర కోట్లతో ప్రాజెక్టు కడితే..
ఐదేండ్లలో 2 లక్షల ఎకరాలకు సుతా నీళ్లియ్యలేఇదీ కేసీఆర్ కట్టిన కాళేశ్వరం! pic.twitter.com/aRBdVgRhcj
— Aapanna Hastham (@AapannaHastham) August 31, 2025
In response, BRS MLA Harish Rao objected to the limited time allotted for discussion, pointing out that the 650-page Ghosh Commission report required detailed scrutiny. He sought at least two hours to respond page by page, emphasizing the need to discuss public hardships caused by floods and urea shortages. Rao also accused the Ghosh Commission of constitutional violations and warned against using commissions as political tools. He noted that filing the report on a Sunday suggested a deliberate attempt to circumvent transparency, prompting a caveat in the Supreme Court. Rao stressed that investigations must be conducted transparently, or they risk being reduced to mere formalities.
The debate underscores ongoing political tensions in Telangana over the Kaleshwaram Project’s implementation and accountability.