Suryapet, September 6: Telangana Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday asserted that the State government would wage an uncompromising and effective battle to secure Telangana’s rightful share in the Krishna and Godavari river waters.

Speaking during his inspection of the R-9 Lift Irrigation Scheme in Suryapet district, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Congress government would protect the interests of Telangana farmers before every competent forum, including the river water tribunals and the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).

“I want to tell the people and farmers of Telangana very clearly that we will fight effectively to ensure justice to Telangana in the allocation of Krishna and Godavari waters. Whether it is before the tribunals, the KRMB or any other forum, there will be no compromise when it comes to Telangana’s rightful share of river waters,” he said.

The Minister dismissed allegations being made against the Congress government on irrigation and water management as “false and bogus propaganda”. He said attempts were being made to create an impression that irrigation and electricity management were more efficient during the previous regime, while the facts presented an entirely different picture.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Congress government was managing irrigation systems and electricity requirements for agriculture efficiently and was committed to ensuring that every available drop of water was put to productive use.

Launching a sharp attack on the previous BRS government’s irrigation record, the Minister alleged that massive amounts of public money had been spent during its decade in office without completing several important projects or creating the promised irrigation potential.

He cited the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme and other pending projects as examples and said several schemes were left incomplete despite huge expenditure.

Referring to the Kaleshwaram project, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the people of Telangana had already seen what had happened to the much-publicised project. He alleged that thousands of crores of rupees had been spent on different irrigation schemes without delivering the corresponding ayacut benefits promised to farmers.

He also referred to expenditure on the SRSP system and pending projects, saying that substantial investments had failed to translate into the intended irrigation benefits.

The Minister said the Congress government’s approach would be fundamentally different, with emphasis on completing pending projects, creating actual ayacut, ensuring efficient utilisation of water and power, and protecting Telangana’s river-water entitlements.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said irrigation projects should ultimately be judged by the water delivered to farmers and the acreage brought under assured irrigation rather than merely by the amount of money spent on them.

During the inspection of the R-9 Lift Irrigation Scheme, the Minister reviewed its utility and stressed the need for irrigation infrastructure to function efficiently so that available water could reach farmers without avoidable losses or delays.

He reiterated that safeguarding Telangana’s interests in Krishna and Godavari waters, completing pending irrigation projects and expanding dependable irrigation facilities would remain among the State government’s highest priorities.