Jal Shakti Minister’s remarks on Kaleshwaram trigger row in Rajya Sabha

Remarks by Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) led to a heated exchange in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, with Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MP K.R. Suresh Reddy demanding an apology and removal of what he termed ‘false and misleading’ comments from the House records.

The row erupted after Patil reportedly remarked that nearly ₹1 lakh crore spent on the Kaleshwaram project had been ‘washed away’ during a discussion on The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation(Amendment) Bill, 2026, in Rajya Sabha, on Thursday.

Objecting strongly, Mr. Suresh Reddy said the statement amounted to a ‘gross misrepresentation’ of facts.

“Kaleshwaram is the lifeline of Telangana. By making baseless allegations, the Minister is misleading Parliament and the people of the country,” he said, demanding an apology from the Minister. Defending the project, Mr. Suresh Reddy said Kaleshwaram includes several barrages, reservoirs, thousands of kilometres of pipelines, multiple tunnels and power substations.

Countering Suresh Reddy’s comments, Union Minister of Coal G. Kishan Reddy blamed the previous BRS government for flaws in the project, particularly at the Medigadda barrage. “The Medigadda barrage has become non-functional. This is not a political claim but a fact established by expert committees,” Mr. Kishan Reddy said, adding that public money had been misused. He accused the BRS of treating the project like an ATM.

Referring to promises made during the bifurcation of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Suresh Reddy also alleged that Telangana had faced ‘continuous injustice’ since the enactment of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. He criticised the transfer of seven mandal to Andhra Pradesh, stating that the decision was taken without consulting Telangana and demanded their restoration.

Mr. Suresh Reddy also demanded national project status for irrigation schemes in Telangana and drew attention to the scrapping of the Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) project for Hyderabad.