"medigadda-barrage"

Speaking to reporters, he also said the state government is free to take action against anyone if there are lapses in the project

The State government had made a request to the NDSA for deputing its team for an end-to-end inspection of the Annaram barrage where fresh seepage was detected last week.

The team undertook the inspection at the behest of Telangana government following seepage related issues reported at the barrage recently

If Congress is serious about probing the irregularities it should immediately order a CBI probe. CBI is a competent agency to handle such cases, BJP MLA Payal Shankar suggested

Stating that the irrigation projects construction during the Congress regime never achieved full ayacut, Harish Rao said Sree Ram Sagar project in 12 years could provide water for just 25,000 acres and it took it 40 years to provide water for 9.5 lakh acres.

Speaking in assembly, Srinivas Reddy said the BRS members were asking to take up repair works on a war footing, but the government was firm in its decision to take up works only after getting reports from experts.

BRS leader and former minister Harish Rao urged the Congress government to address the barrage's rehabilitation before the monsoon season

If required, the Revenue Recovery Act would be invoked to recover damages suffered in execution of the projects, said Revanth Reddy

Talking to reporters after Tuesday's session, Harish Rao said the Opposition should be allowed to have its say in a democratic setup and this basic principal was undermined in the House.

Congress government has arranged an official trip for all the 119 MLAs and 40 MLCs to the Medigadda project site to show its condition

A team of the department officials led by Rajiv Ratan, Director General (vigilance) visited the project site and interacted with the engineers of the project.

The vigilance officials took up search operations in the offices of the three engineers-in-chief associated with the implementation of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme right from its conception

Top officials of the Irrigation Department made it clear that the investigation as well as the rehabilitation would solely be the responsibility of the implementation agency.

An extent of 3,786 acres of area was to be submerged by the barrage at Thummidihetti and the affected areas happened to be the strongholds of the BJP cadres

"Finally, we have decided to opt for diamond cutting method. A private agency has been entrusted with the job and already the agency’s team has arrived”, Muralidhar told a group of newsmen visiting the project

Many were seen standing in queues much before the scheduled time of 10 a.m. for commencement of the programme.

The division bench dealing with a PIL case filed by G Niranjan, Congress leader and TPCC vice president, seeking directions to transfer the complaint made before Mahadevapuram Police station to the CBI/Serious Fraud Investigation Organisation on the issue at the Medigadda Barrage

Chief Minister also asked the officials to furnish all the details on the expenditure incurred in construction of different irrigation projects during the previous BRS government rule

Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy directed the officials to make arrangements for his visit to the project site, along with the engineers, officials and the contract agencies concerned

The institutions that have been tasked with the study are expected to give their recommendations very soon, according to Irrigation officials