The Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation project has become the focus of fresh political criticism in Telangana, with former ministers S Niranjan Reddy and V Srinivas Goud alleging that the Congress government has slowed or halted work on the scheme and failed to address drought-related concerns in the Palamuru region.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi leaders accused the government of neglecting Mahabubnagar and other parts of the region. They also criticised Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s remarks at a public meeting in Lagacherla, according to a report by the Times of India.
Niranjan Reddy, a former minister, said projects including Upper Krishna, Bhima, the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme and the Tungabhadra high-level canal could have provided irrigation to nearly 20 lakh acres through gravity canals if they had been completed earlier. He said successive governments had failed to complete these works over several decades.
The former minister said the previous BRS government had launched the Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation scheme at an estimated cost of around ₹35,000 crore as a corrective measure. He alleged that implementation had slowed after the Congress government came to power. The report did not include a response from the state government to the allegations.
The project is intended to move water to parts of southern Telangana that face recurring water stress and drought conditions. Its progress is therefore linked not only to irrigation capacity but also to the state’s management of river inflows, inter-state water releases and agricultural risk in the region.
Niranjan Reddy questioned what tangible benefits Palamuru had received during the Congress government’s tenure and demanded that the government disclose the additional irrigation capacity created in the region over the past three years. He also alleged that Telangana had not secured adequate water releases from Karnataka and lacked a clear strategy for using inflows reaching the state.
The BRS leader further demanded compensation for farmers affected by drought and crop losses. His remarks placed the irrigation project within a wider dispute over whether existing water resources are being converted into dependable farm supply and whether affected cultivators are receiving relief.
Goud alleged that the state government had not fulfilled assurances of substantial annual allocations for the Palamuru region. He also claimed that no major new development works had been initiated in Mahabubnagar district since the Congress assumed office.
The latest criticism adds to the political contest over responsibility for irrigation infrastructure in southern Telangana. The immediate points at issue are the current status of the Palamuru-Rangareddy project, the extent of additional irrigation created and the government’s plans for drought relief and water releases. No official timeline or implementation update from the state government was cited in the supplied report.
