BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Wednesday alleged that three Congress ministers from Khammam district failed to deliver public welfare and development, accusing them of neglecting the interests of the people despite holding key portfolios in the government.

Addressing the party cadres, Rama Rao accused Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Tummala Nageswara Rao of focusing on personal aggradisement instead of public welfare. He alleged that the ministers were demanding 30 per cent commissions in works sanctioned in their respective departments.

Rama Rao said former Chief Minister and BRS president K Chandrashekar Rao had planned to irrigate 7.5 lakh acres under the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Project and claimed that nearly 90 per cent of the works had already been completed during the BRS regime. However, he alleged, the Congress government had failed to complete the remaining works.

Despite having three ministers from the district, farmers were not even supplied urea fertiliser, he said.

Rama Rao also accused the Congress government of failing to implement its poll promises, including Rs 4,000 pension, one tola of gold and scooties for girls. He said Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had promised to extend Rythu Bandhu benefits to tenant farmers and increase assistance to Rs 15,000 per acre, but instead reduced it to Rs 12,000 per acre and released it only once.

Alleging that the Chief Minister lacked basic understanding of irrigation, Rama Rao said the Congress leadership was blaming the previous BRS government to cover up its failures.

Citing figures from the Reserve Bank of India and the Comptroller and Auditor General, Rama Rao said loans of Rs 2.80 lakh crore raised during the BRS regime were spent on farmer welfare and asset creation. In contrast, he alleged, the present government was borrowing funds to meet political obligations to the central leadership. He further alleged that Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy was seeking political protection by aligning with the BJP, while Tummala Nageswara Rao was attempting to lure BRS corporators into the Congress.

Rama Rao said the BRS would nurture new leadership in Khammam by fielding young candidates in the upcoming urban local body elections. He expressed confidence that the party would win seven to eight Assembly seats in the erstwhile Khammam district in the next elections.