Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan’s fulsome praise for Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for the Kaleswaram irrigation project drew reaction from an unexpected quarter. Former Union minister and senior BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreya wondered why the Governor has failed to mention the name of the Central government or Prime Minister Narendra Modi for contributing towards the mammoth project.
“I would not like to comment on the Governor praising the CM or the TRS government but it would have been nice if he would have taken the name of of the PM and the NDA government’s assistance in taking up the project which was originally proposed by our party in 1999,” he told a press conference on Sunday.
While stating that he was not going to file any complaint to the Centre about the Governor, Mr. Dattatreya felt that since the State Government was anyhow not mentioning anywhere about the Modi Government’s contribution, it was up to Mr. Narasimhan to set the record straight.
The BJP leader also joined issue with the CM about giving more powers to States and wondered if the proposed new Panchayat Raj Act was intended to provide autonomy to local bodies or curtail them giving scope for those with influence and money to win polls. “KCR should call for an all party meeting to discuss the new PR Act instead of going ahead in an undemocratic manner which will be detrimental to the interests of the BCs,SC/STs and minorities,” he observed.
Mr. Dattatreya advised the TRS government to submit no objection certificates for Central Sector schemes where 90% funding is from Centre towards rural development, women and child welfare, roads, etc. “Only 53 % amount was spent because the Government machinery is slow here, I appeal to the CM to issue NoCs fast,” he said.
He advised the government to increase the Kaleswaram dam height for up to 15 metres to get water for another 20 lakh acres. and claimed that TS benefitted the most under the Centre’s largesse not only because of funds devolution hiked by 45%, liberal funding through Nabard and other schemes for irrigation and drinking water projects to the tune of ₹15,000 crore or more besides ₹4000 crore to Mission Bhagiratha, ₹6,000 for Mission Kakatiya and so on. This was besides, expediting environmental and other clearances for projects.