Minister The son of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief’s K Chandrashekar Rao, K T Rama Rao lashed out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi who alleged that the TRS party had swindled public money by raising the cost of projects in the state.
Following Rahul Gandhi’s campaign in Telangana on Saturday, KTR, in a series of tweets, called the claims of the Congress chief as a ‘bluff’.
On the allegation made by Rahul Gandhi that the TRS had increased the cost of Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella project, KTR tweeted the G.O. issued by the-then Congress government, highlighting that the cost of the project increased from Rs 17,875 crore in 2007 to 40,300 crore in 2010, without any change in the project.
Dear @RahulGandhi Ji,
— KTR (@KTRTRS) October 21, 2018
Attached are 3 GOs issued in 2007, 2008 & 2010 (Congress Govt) where in the cost estimate of Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella project more than doubled from initial 17,875 Cr to 38,500 Cr and then to 40,300 Cr WITHOUT ANY change in scope!? 1/2#CorruptCongress pic.twitter.com/21XOudMKWj
He further went on to call Late YS Rajasekhara Reddy, then Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh as the ‘Raja’ of Corruption, going by his own logic on the escalation of project costs.
Going by your amazing wisdom @RahulGandhi Ji, was this done by the then Congress Govt to loot the exchequer?
— KTR (@KTRTRS) October 21, 2018
As alleged by your current best friend & then opposition leader @ncbn Garu, was ‘Jala Yagnam’ mere ‘Dhana Yagnam’? Was your the then CM ‘Raja of Corruption’? 2/2 pic.twitter.com/WHEXnj5onh
The Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella project had been modified and rechristened as the Wait Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme. Rahul Gandhi had claimed that the cost of the Kaleshwaram project had escalated to Rs 1 lakh crore.
“The Chief Minister in Telangana has insulted Ambedkar, he has renamed the project that was named after him as the Kaleshwaram project and from a budget of Rs 38,000 crore, the project’s cost rose to Rs 1 lakh,” he alleged.
However, KTR stated that the final cost of the project was Rs 80,190 crore, and claimed that the cost of the project shot up because they increased the storage capacity of the reservoir to 10 times, constructing 3 additional barrages and 3 pump houses, along with relief and rehabilitation and programme. KTR said that with the increased water storage capacity, the reservoir can store 16 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) to 160 TMC water.
With 10 times more storage capacity (16 TMC to 160 TMC), 3 additional barrages & 3 pump houses & increased cost of relief & rehabilitation coupled with cost escalation over 8 years will the cost not go up @RahulGandhi Ji?
— KTR (@KTRTRS) October 21, 2018
Do you not see cost escalations in Karnataka projects?2/2
KTR also claimed that the TRS party had provided employment. “TRS Govt approved recruitment of 1,09,000 jobs. Notifications for 87,346 have been issued and more than 32,681 youngsters have been recruited in 4 years. From 2004-14, Congress Govt didn’t recruit even 10,000 in Telangana.” KTR wrote.
Yet another blatant lie of @RahulGandhi was on employment
— KTR (@KTRTRS) October 21, 2018
TRS Govt approved recruitment of 1,09,000 jobs. Notifications for 87,346 have been issued and more than 32,681 youngsters have been recruited in 4 years
From 2004-14, Congress Govt didn’t recruit even 10,000 in Telangana
Attacking Rahul further, KTR said that the Congress-ruled states of Punjab and Karnataka did not even pay the first instalment of the farm loan waiver, while the Congress president claimed that they have paid the farm loan waiver within one year.
Asking Rahul not to mislead the people, KTR said, “Next time I hope you don’t make tall claims that you speak only truth & nothing but the truth,” KTR said.
I know I wouldn’t get an answer from you @RahulGandhi Ji. I hope you at the least will inform your script writers not to mislead you & the people of Telangana with misinformation
— KTR (@KTRTRS) October 21, 2018
And next time I hope you don’t make tall claims that you speak only truth & nothing but the truth