Hyderabad: Govt whip and MLC Balmoori Venkat on Monday alleged that the Kaleshwaram project, whose construction began and was completed during the previous BRS govt’s tenure, stands as a symbol of large-scale corruption. He was speaking at a photo exhibition organised on the Gandhi Bhavan premises, showcasing various stages of the Kaleshwaram project and highlighting how its pump houses were submerged in rainwater on several occasions.Addressing the media, he alleged that public funds worth ₹1 lakh crore were misused in the name of the Kaleshwaram project. “The Congress govt exposed the alleged irregularities after coming to power. Even the NDSA also pointed out structural defects in the project,” he said. Venkat said the project, originally named Pranahita Chevella, was initiated during the YS Rajasekhar Reddy-led govt’s tenure under the Jalayagnam programme in the undivided state. He accused the BRS of redesigning the original project and renaming it as Kaleshwaram.“The BRS leaders are spreading false information to mislead farmers over the Congress govt’s implementation of the Rythu Bharosa scheme. Former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is now the leader of the opposition in the assembly. He should attend the assembly sessions and clarify the allegations of corruption in Kaleshwaram and other projects,” he said. Targeting BRS working president KT Rama Rao, Venkat challenged him to undergo a drug test, alleging that the previous BRS regime was responsible for the rise of drug culture in Telangana.
