Polavaram project won't be completed even after 5 years: Harish

Hyderabad: Finance Minister T Harish Rao said on Sunday that the Polavaram irrigation project, which was started before the Kaleshwaram, will not get completed even after five years.

He was speaking at swearing-in ceremony of new body of Siddipet district Chinnakodur Agriculture Market Committee here. Rao said the Opposition parties were misleading people on the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project (KLIP). "What they can know by sitting in party offices in Delhi and Hyderabad. They will get first hand information if they visit villages. Every village has water bodies beaming with water. Earlier, crops were grown in 5,000 acres, but now the area has increased to 20,000 acres," Rao stated.

The minister said the Polavaram project, which was started before KLIP will not get completed even after five years. "It will be great if it gets completed within five years. People of Telangana are enjoying the benefit of Kaleshwaram which was built by the State government, but the Centre had started Polavaram before Kaleshwaram, but it is still under construction.

He called upon members of the new AMC to thwart the Opposition allegations and educate people on benefits of Kaleshwaram.

Rao countered the comments of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that abuses turn into nutrition for the him.

"If the PM feels kilos of abuses make him stronger then the abuses of BJP leaders of KCR would make him further strong. What has Modi done for Telangana and the country? When we ask this, they call it abuses," said the minister