BRS will diminish further after the Lok Sabha polls: Uttam Kumar Reddy

HYDERABAD: Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Friday asserted that the BRS party lost its relevance and would gradually fade away from the political landscape of Telangana after the Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a press conference after annual Urs celebrations of Jan Pahad Saidulu Dargah in Palkaveedu Mandal, Suryapet district, Uttam Kumar Reddy predicted that the Congress party would secure 13-14 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana, while the BRS would be limited to only to one or two seats. He emphasized that the main contest for the Lok Sabha in Telangana was between the Congress and the BJP, with little to no relevance to BRS. He claimed, "The future of the BRS will be in doubt after the Lok Sabha, and its existence itself will be questionable after the Parliament elections. It is bound to diminish significantly from the political scene in the next few months."

Uttam Kumar Reddy disclosed that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had addressed booth-level workers of the Congress party at LB Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday, providing guidelines for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He expressed confidence that by winning 13-14 seats, Telangana would play a significant role in forming the next Congress-led government at the Centre, with Rahul Gandhi assuming the post of Prime Minister.

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Accusing the previous BRS regime of “cheating the people, looting public wealth, and pushing Telangana into a massive debt crisis”, Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that the claims of development under the KCR regime were mere hype and fake publicity. He asserted, "After the formation of the Congress Government 50 days ago, we held reviews of all departments. The findings in each review meeting were shocking." He revealed that all departments, especially Irrigation, Civil Supplies, Energy, Mission Bhagirathi, and others, were ensnared in substantial debts.

He added, "The Congress Govt has already initiated a probe into all the irregularities, and it would take serious action against those involved in the scams."

Highlighting specific instances of financial mismanagement, Uttam Kumar Reddy pointed out that over Rs 94,000 crore were spent on the Kaleshwaram Project, creating an ayacut of not even a lakh acre. Similarly, Rs 25,000 crore spent on Palamuru Rangareddy and Rs 7,000 crore on Sitharama projects resulted in no irrigation. He said that the Congress Government had initiated investigations into irregularities in the construction of Bhadradari and Yadadri power projects.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Civil Supplies Corporation which played a crucial role in supplying rice and commodities to the poor was financially mismanaged and pushed into huge debts and losses running to thousands of crores.

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He alleged that the Mission Bhagiratha was a huge scam. He said despite spending over Rs 40,000 crore, the previous BRS regime could not provide tap connections or water to all households. He said huge loans were borrowed from HUDCO, NABARD and other institutions on the pretext of laying pipelines, creating water resources and other works. But in reality, nothing had been done on the ground. He said as the Lok Sabha MP when he had raised the question in the Parliament regarding Mission Bhagiratha, he was shocked to learn about the debts and the real situation on the ground. "People across Telangana are facing the scarcity of water even before the onset of summer season. This is a proof of failure of Mission Bhagiratha," he said.

Stating that he was not levelling any political allegations, Uttam Kumar Reddy said as a minister and a Congress leader it was his responsibility to bring the truth before the public. The BRS Government was an “utter failure and it wasted public money without fearing for any consequences.” He also accused the BRS leaders of creating an illusion of development by making false claims about providing a 24-hour power supply to the farm sector.

Regarding the Jan Pahad Saidulu Dargah, Uttam Kumar Reddy spoke of his longstanding association with the Dargah and pledged Rs 1 crore funds to create facilities for pilgrims, including accommodation, drinking water, roads, and amenities. He urged officials to prepare proposals and estimates, with the works to be completed in the next two months. He emphasized the significance of Jan Pahad Dargah, which people of all religions and faiths visit every year, and shared his prayers for good rains, better cultivation, and the overall prosperity of the people of Telangana.