BRS team visits Medigadda barrage; Congress likens it to 'culprits trying to console victims'

Facing flak over the damage to the Medigadda barrage of the Kaleshwaram project, the opposition BRS in Telangana on Friday undertook a visit to the irrigation structure, saying the party would ''expose'' the Congress government's attitude on the issue.

Speaking to reporters before a team of BRS members, including MLAs and other party leaders, left for the barrage in buses from here, party Working President K T Rama Rao asked what objection the Congress government have in carrying out repairs to the structure.

The government can conduct an inquiry into the damage that occurred during the previous BRS and take action against those responsible. But, the government should provide irrigation water to the farmers, he asserted.

Rama Rao declared that his party would also visit places facing acute water shortage which is affecting agriculture.

Posting on social media platform X that the BRS team's visit's objective is to ''expose'' the Congress government, he claimed that the ruling party was magnifying a ''small defect'', apparently referring to the damage to the pillars of the Medigadda barrage that sunk down. The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) had found in November last year that the Medigadda barrage has been severely compromised, rendering it useless unless fully overhauled. The Medigadda barrage is part of the mega Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project.

He said the BRS would question the government for allegedly not safeguarding the project which was built using public money.

The ruling Congress slammed the BRS's visit to the barrage, with Congress MLA Vemula Veeresham characterising it as ''culprits seeking to console the victims.'' Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) President M Kodandaram too criticised the BRS, saying its members visiting the Medigadda barrage is like them ''looking at the mirror to realise their mistakes''.

The TJS is ready for a public debate with BRS on the issue, he added.

The ruling Congress and BRS have been engaged in a war of words over the damage to the Medigadda barrage.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had alleged earlier that the Kaleshwaram project has become a ''taint for Telangana society'' due to the damage to its barrages, the cost escalation and poor planning during the previous BRS regime, as found in the reports of CAG, vigilance department and others.