KCR to lead mass stir over neglect of irrigation projects, says Harish | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: Former minister Harish Rao on Sunday announced that BRS president and former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) would lead a mass agitation involving lakhs of people against the Congress govt’s alleged neglect of the Kaleshwaram and Palamuru-Rangareddy irrigation projects.Speaking to reporters after a BRS legislature party meeting chaired by KCR at Erravelli in Siddipet, Harish said the party had decided to launch a direct agitation under KCR’s leadership against the govt’s alleged failure to lift water through the two projects.Harish claimed that water was available at Kaleshwaram, but the Congress govt was deliberately not utilising it, causing hardship to farmers. He also asserted that the Palamuru-Rangareddy project was 80% complete during the BRS regime and that completion of the remaining work would enable the utilisation of 60 tmcft of water.He said the BRS would strongly demand at the Business Advisory Committee meeting that the assembly and council sessions be held for at least a month to facilitate a comprehensive discussion on public issues.According to him, BRS legislators would raise issues including the inclusion of agricultural land in the prohibited list under Section 22A, power cuts, the alleged failure of the farm loan waiver scheme, cancellation of Polytechnic GO 97, alleged irregularities in Singareni, the Pay Revision Commission, pending dearness allowances, and shortcomings in the employees’ health scheme.Harish said the party would fight for 30 lakh students affected by pending fee reimbursement dues and would not hesitate to stall proceedings until the issue was addressed.He alleged that despite completing 1,000 days in office, the Congress govt had failed students, unemployed youth, employees, farmers, women, Dalits, tribals and BCs.Targeting chief minister Revanth Reddy, Harish alleged that growing public opposition had prompted him to resort to diversionary politics by demanding KCR’s resignation.He said Revanth should first explain the status of the six guarantees and fulfil his promise on the farm loan waiver before seeking KCR’s resignation.Harish also criticised the chief minister’s language in the assembly, saying KCR had no reason to attend proceedings if such language continued to be used.He said BRS MLAs and MLCs had unanimously decided that KCR need not participate in debates with Revanth Reddy. BRS legislators, he added, would raise issues and seek answers from the govt.On KCR’s security, Harish questioned why the chief minister was concerned about security arrangements for a two-time chief minister and Leader of Opposition, while alleging that security personnel had been deployed for Revanth Reddy’s brother, Tirupati Reddy.Citing leaders such as MG Ramachandran, J Jayalalithaa, M Karunanidhi, NT Rama Rao and N Chandrababu Naidu, he said they had boycotted assembly proceedings after facing political setbacks and later returned to power with public support.He said KCR would follow a similar path and take the party’s message directly to the people.Harish also referred to protests by ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, VRAs and employees near Indira Park, alleging that the govt was focusing on diversionary politics instead of addressing their demands. He said people would deliver their verdict on the Congress govt at the appropriate time.