Uttam Kumar Reddy Challenges KCR Over Kaleshwaram Padayatra Plan

Telangana Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has stepped up his attack on former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), questioning his plan to undertake a padayatra to Kaleshwaram and accusing the former BRS government of failing the state’s irrigation sector.

Reacting to KCR’s recent remarks during an informal interaction with the media at the Assembly premises on Monday, Uttam said a proposed march to Kaleshwaram involving one lakh people would only draw ridicule from the public. Referring to the damage and subsidence of piers at the Medigadda barrage, he questioned how KCR could visit the project amid the controversy surrounding its condition.

Uttam said Telangana’s current water difficulties were linked not only to El Niño conditions but also to what he described as administrative failures during the previous BRS government. He demanded that KCR account for his 10-year tenure before commenting on the state’s water problems. The minister also alleged that KCR lacked adequate understanding of irrigation and had prioritised political publicity over scientific planning.

Questioning the Kaleshwaram expenditure, Uttam asked what had been achieved after nearly ₹1 lakh crore was spent on the project. He said the Medigadda piers would not have suffered damage had the project been properly constructed. He pointed to existing reports on alleged construction deficiencies and claimed the same amount could have been used to complete seven other irrigation projects.

Uttam also challenged KCR to explain why the SLBC project remained incomplete and questioned the alleged neglect of the Jurala and Dindi projects for a decade. Completing pending projects, he said, could have brought irrigation water to lakhs of acres. He accused the previous government of damaging the irrigation department and rated KCR’s performance in the sector as “zero.”

The minister also accused KCR of laying the foundation for a culture of abusive political language. Despite being elected MLA seven times, Uttam said he had never witnessed political discourse deteriorate so sharply. He called for restraint, dignity and democratic decorum, adding that KCR would be better off resting at home rather than undertaking a Kaleshwaram padayatra.