Hyderabad, Dec 19 (Representative) Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday reiterated the Congress government’s commitment to completing the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) by December 2026.Replying to a question raised by members of the Telangana Legislative Council, Uttam assured that the project remains a top priority for the government and dismissed allegations of neglect. He outlined the detailed status of the project, emphasising that significant progress has been made in both physical and financial terms.The Minister informed the House that PRLIS is being executed in 18 packages, including four lift packages and 14 civil works packages.The main works include approach channels, open canals, tunnels, pump houses, and reservoirs, spanning four major stages.He stated that the Stage-I pumping station was successfully commissioned on September 16, 2023, while the Stage-II, Stage-III, and Stage-IV pumping stations are nearing completion and are expected to be commissioned shortly. These developments mark significant milestones in addressing irrigation and drinking water needs in Telangana’s drought-prone areas.Uttam noted that Rs.32,305 crore has been spent on the project so far, against the initial administrative approval of Rs. 35,200 crore.However, he highlighted that an additional Rs. 33,201 crore will be required to complete the remaining works, bringing the total project cost to approximately Rs. 65,506 crore.
The government has already taken steps to secure the necessary funding and clearances to ensure timely completion, he said. PRLIS is designed to irrigate 12.3 lakh acres across districts including Nagarkurnool, Mahabubnagar, Vikarabad, Ranga Reddy, Narayanpet, and Nalgonda. The project will also supply drinking water to surrounding villages and support industrial use by lifting 90 TMC of flood water for 60 days from the foreshore of the Srisailam Project on the Krishna River.The balance ayacut works are in progress, with tenders floated for canals and reservoirs like Venkata, Kurumurthy, and Udandapur, amounting to Rs. 6,988 crore, the Minister informed the Council. He clarified that environmental and technical clearances from the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEF&CC) are being processed. He assured that the approvals are on track and will not delay the project timeline.On land acquisition, the Minister revealed that of the required 27,047 acres, about 26,872 acres have already been acquired, with the remaining 175 acres in progress.Reiterating the project’s importance, Uttam affirmed that the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme will be fully completed and operational by December 2026.He stressed that the Congress government views PRLIS as a flagship project to transform Telangana’s agricultural landscape, particularly in drought-hit regions.Refuting allegations of neglect, he underlined that PRLIS is a high-priority project aimed at addressing the state’s irrigation needs while also supplying drinking water and industrial resources. “This project is critical to ensuring water security and agricultural development in Telangana’s underserved districts.
The government is fully committed to completing it as planned,” he said. He stated that the Congress government prioritized the irrigation sector, allocating a substantial budget of Rs 22,500 crore for this year. Of this, nearly Rs 11,000 crore has been earmarked for capital works. Among the irrigation initiatives, the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) has been identified as the top priority project. Hence, allegations of neglect or delays are entirely baseless. The Minister strongly condemned the BRS MLCs, led by K Kavitha, for creating pandemonium in the House over alleged project delays.He criticised the previous BRS government, headed by then Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, for spending over Rs. 27,500 crore without creating ayacut for even a single acre of land. Further, he dismissed claims that 90 percent of the project was completed under the BRS regime, stating that the previous government had not obtained the required clearances from agencies like the Central Water Commission (CEC) and MOEF&CC. He noted that the Congress government is now working on securing these clearances. He said not even 50 percent of the estimated funds were spent on the project. The Minister added that the BRS government initiated one pump house for publicity during elections, but water was not supplied to even one acre of land.
Uttam also slammed the BRS for wrongly linking the Narayanapet-Kodangal Lift Irrigation Scheme (NKLIS) with PRLIS. He clarified that NKLIS was sanctioned in May 2014, a month before the formation of Telangana, and that the two projects are unrelated.He further alleged that former CM KCR facilitated the construction of the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS) by the Andhra Pradesh government through inaction. He criticised the BRS government for its lack of timely intervention, which indirectly enabled Andhra Pradesh’s progress on the RLIS. He highlighted that Telangana’s Engineer-in-Chief (ENC) had written to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) on July 25, 2020, seeking to halt the RLIS tenders, but no decisive measures were taken. Additional delays occurred when the Telangana Chief Secretary postponed the Apex Council meeting originally scheduled for August 5, 2020, thereby allowing Andhra Pradesh to proceed with the RLIS tendering process. “This delay and failure to act decisively resulted in the Government of India treating PRLIS and RLIS as equivalent projects, despite PRLIS being initiated much earlier on August 8, 2013. Uttam Kumar Reddy emphasised the Congress government’s commitment to completing PRLIS as scheduled, ensuring water security and agricultural prosperity for Telangana.