FGG urges Guv to order probe into PRLIS corruption allegations
The FGG sought action to be taken on the persons responsible for squandering taxpayer's money for political gains. The FGG president M Padmanabha Reddy said that to provide drinking water and water to irrigate the perched lands of Southern Telangana, Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Project was taken up in June 2015, with an estimated cost of Rs 32,000 crore and it was contemplated to complete the project in 48 months (by middle of 2019).
'Work started hurriedly without required permissions from Centre. There were serious objections from the National Green Tribunal and for the lapses the Tribunal slapped a fine of Rs 920 crore on the Government of Telangana. The Tribunal observed that 'Telangana has made it a habit of project construction without seeking environmental clearances by claiming the project construction is in public interest',' he said.
The FGG president said that Andhra Pradesh filed a case in the Supreme Court against this project alleging the project was lifting water more than allotted. During the construction there were serious allegations of corruption. In addition, a number of cases were filed in the High Court by people for compensation of land acquired for the project.
In this way, the project was in doldrums. By November 2023, an amount of Rs 30,000 crore was spent completing 70 per cent of the work. Due to delay, proposals to revise the estimate from Rs 32,000 crore to 50,000 crore were sent by the Chief Engineer to the Government.
As the matter stands thus the then Chief Minister has taken up inauguration of the project on September 16, 2023 at Narlapoor and next day inauguration of the same project at Kollapur. In this way for the half-completed project two inaugurations just few weeks before the Assembly elections were made. For advertisement purpose, an amount of over Rs 22.13 crore was spent.
The FGG said that the project was facing cases in courts. In such a situation the completion of the project was in doubt. Spending Rs 22.14 crore for inauguration of an incomplete and doubtful project is nothing but misuse of power and squandering of Tax Payer's money. The entire exercise was done a few weeks before Assembly elections only for political gains, he alleged.
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