Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday performed bhumi puja for the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project in Karimnagar district. This is the first of the redesigned projects of TRS government discarding the projects taken up during Congress government led by YS Rajasekhar Reddy. This is part of the Pranahita-Chevella project designed n YSR as part of the now unpopular Jalayagnam.

Accompanied by his wife Shobha in the presence of many ministers and assembly speaker, KCR laid the foundation stone for the project for the pump house, the off take point for the lift irrigation project, at Kanneapalli village. Later he also laid foundation for the Medigadda barrage at Ambatiapple village.

The project, which will be completed in three years, is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 84,000 crore. And the lift is expected to bring under irrigation about 18.5 lakh acres in seven districts of the state. The project will augment the drinking water supply to the Hyderabad city also. Addressing the gathering, chief minister KCR said the Project was going to prove a boon to the Northern Telangana districts namely Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Nalgonda, Adilabad, Warangal, Medak and Ranga Reddy of South Telangana.

Addressing the gathering the CM said the Pump House construction would completed in 15 months and people would get water from the next day even before the completion of the Medigadda barrage.
He also announced the the Kaleswaram temple would be developed into a beautiful pilgrim centre at a cost of Rs 25 crore.

He was all praise for the Maharashtra government for its cooperation in the construction of Kaleswaram project.

The CM was critical of the stand taken by the Congress party against the redesigning of the projects.
“The Congress speaks in too many tongues. The party speaks in different tongues in different states. The leaders of Congress should desist from indulging meaningless talk on the Telangana projects,” he said.