Hyderabad: Deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka, revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give national project status to the Pranahita-Chevella irrigation project.Ahead of PM Modi’s visit to the city on Sunday, they criticised BJP, especially the Union ministers from the state, G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay, demanding a clarification from them whether the Modi govt intends to start CBI investigation into the alleged Kaleshwaram scam against former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and others.They spoke at different programmes. Bhatti performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a compressed biogas plant to be set up at Gambhiraopet in Sircilla district. Ministers Duddilla Sridhar Babu, Tummala Nageshwar Rao and Ponnam Prabhakar attended the event.Bhatti stated that, as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, the then central govt promised to grant national status to one major irrigation project in Telangana, and said that the present govt has a responsibility to get it fulfilled. The Centre should procure every grain purchased by the state from farmers and release funds on time, he demanded.Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy criticised CBI for failing to take any action, nine months after the state handed over the case, regarding the alleged corruption in the Kaleshwaram project. “This inaction clearly exposes collusive politics between BJP and BRS. Bandi Sanjay and Kishan Reddy should ensure a comprehensive inquiry by CBI into the Kaleshwaram project and power purchase agreements done during the previous BRS govt,” he demanded, while speaking at the state-level ‘Mega Farmers’ Fair’ (Rythu Mela) in Hanumakonda.TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud said before PM Modi arrives in Hyderabad, BJP must clarify whether or not they would ensure CBI starts its inquiry into the Kaleshwaram project.“Bandi Sanjay is speaking as if he has forgotten that he is a Union minister. We even wrote a letter to CBI requesting an investigation. Prior to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, BJP leaders said corruption took place in the Kaleshwaram project. After coming to power at the Centre for the third term, the BJP govt failed to initiate a CBI inquiry into Kaleshwaram. CBI is refraining from investigating the Kaleshwaram case because BRS helped the BJP in winning eight Lok Sabha seats,” Mahesh Kumar Goud alleged.“The political climate in Bengal is not favourable to BJP, but the saffron party won through vote theft by removing 90 lakh votes from the electoral rolls,” the TPCC president alleged and called upon the people of Telangana to remain vigilant, safeguard their votes and ensure their names on the voter list in special intensive revision.
