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Doubts linger over cost of Bhakta Ramadasu project
Even as the Irrigation Department is racing against the time to commission the Bhakta Ramadasu Lift Irrigation Project (BRLIP) next week, doubts linger over the cost of the project and inordinate delay in its commissioning.
Khammam: Even as the Irrigation Department is racing against the time to commission the Bhakta Ramadasu Lift Irrigation Project (BRLIP) next week, doubts linger over the cost of the project and inordinate delay in its commissioning.
Albeit the government trumpeted that it would complete the project in record six months, it’s been almost a year since the works were set in motion but to no avail.
Designed to source 5.5 tmcft water from the Palair Balancing Reservoir which is under Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal, the project was aimed at irrigating nearly 58,958 acres mostly belonging to small and marginal farmers of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the drought-prone Kusumanchi, Thirumalayapalem, Mudigonda, Nelakondapalli and Khammam rural mandals.
The project was designed to lift water up to 59 meters and dropping into DBM 60 of Sriram Sagar Project (SRSP) Stage-II at 45 km near Madiripuram village through pump houses, pressure mains and delivery cisterns.
The works commenced after Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao laid the foundation stone at Erragattu Tanda under Kusumanchi mandal in February 2016. Initially, the government accorded Rs 90.87 crore administrative sanction for the project.
Against this backdrop, the farmers of nine villages under Thirumalayapalem have been raising a hue and cry over the project design that eludes them from the ayacut.
The farmers of Kakaravai, Bachodu, Subled, Solipuram, Painampalli, Rajaram and Husnabad villages say that a bit of modification in the project would bring at least 9,000 acres.
Speaking to The Hans India, Telangana Rythu Sangham joint secretary Nunna Nageswara Rao said: “The government needs to clarify the doubts surrounding the cost of the project. Several times Minister for Roads and Buildings Tummala Nageswara Rao claimed that project is of Rs 600 crore.
On the other hand, the irrigation officials say that project was estimated at a cost of Rs 335.59 crore and they are using the pipes and motors procured for the Rajiv Sagar and Indira Sagar projects which were shelved.
Meanwhile, CPM State Secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram wrote a letter to KCR seeking justice to these villages.
Clearing the air of suspicion, the Irrigation Department Superintending Engineer T Nageswara Rao said: “The total cost of the project is Rs 335.59. Land acquisition, civil works and sub-station amounted to Rs 171.84 crore.
The pipes, motors and pumps that we used for the Bhakta Ramadasu project were already purchased by the government at a cost of Rs 163.75 crore for the purpose of Rajiv Sagar and Indira Sagar projects.”
He said that they have already conducted dry run of the motors successfully and the load run will be conducted in about a week.
He said that Minister for Roads and Buildings Tummala Nageswara Rao directed them to take up a feasibility study to bring the eight villages that were left out of the project.
