Hyderabad: Irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, on Wednesday, said that the previous BRS govt had spent an additional 62,000 crore on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) by inflating the original cost of the Pranahita-Chevella project (38,000 crore), for vested interests. This money could have been used to complete the Palamuru-Rangareddy, Kalwakurthy, Nettempadu, Bhima, Koilsagar, Dindi, Devadula, Sitarama Sagar and SLBC tunnel projects, as well as other long-awaited initiatives, he claimed. The minister held a review meeting on irrigation projects in Kodad, after the helicopter carrying him to the project site in the Huzurnagar constituency landed in Kodad due to inclement weather. “Instead of building a good irrigation network, the previous govt chose to build the Kaleshwaram project, the three barrages of which collapsed without benefiting the farmers. We could have ensured water for southern Telangana, completed multiple lift schemes and permanently solved the irrigation crisis. But Kaleshwaram ate it all,” he said. The minister said that chief minister A Revanth Reddy has now taken up the revival and completion of all Krishna River Basin projects, having recently held a four-hour review. Funds are being allocated to ensure the projects are completed on time. During the review of ongoing lift irrigation projects with senior officials and contractors, Uttam directed them to submit firm deadlines and warned them of penalties for delays. He also appealed to local communities and elected representatives for assistance with land acquisition and on-the-ground coordination.Key projects currently in progress include the Rajiv Gandhi Lift Irrigation Scheme, which aims to irrigate 14,100 acres at a cost of 394 crore. The Muktyala branch canal lift scheme will cover 53,000 acres at a cost of 1,450 crore. This project includes four 16 MW pumps and will benefit 19,295 families across 23 villages in three mandals. The minister said that the Congress govt is fighting to secure a fair share of Krishna river waters for Telangana. “The previous BRS govt surrendered Telangana’s water rights by accepting just 299 TMC out of the total 811 TMC Krishna river allocation, leaving 512 TMC for Andhra Pradesh — and they did so in writing,” he said at a press conference after the review. The Congress govt has reversed its approach and is now defending Telangana’s claims. “We have reopened the issue before the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal and are demanding a 70:30 ratio — 70% for Telangana and 30% for Andhra Pradesh — based on catchment area, cultivable land, drought-prone zones and population,” he said, adding, “Our aim is to make the drought-stricken districts of Mahbubnagar, Nalgonda and Khammam more fertile by making full use of the waters of the Krishna River through targeted irrigation projects.“