Officials told to fast-track RDS works

Hyderabad: Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao on Tuesday discussed the issue of long-pending modernisation of Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) anicut and instructed the officials to take up the head works on war footing.

At a meeting, the Minister instructed the officials to pursue the issue with Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh governments immediately. He said the project works came to a grinding halt as the farmers in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh have been obstructing the works on various grounds since 2008. As a result, the project estimation was also increased.

The total cost of the project for four packages is estimated at Rs 105.73 crore. Telangana government already deposited Rs 58.94 crore with the Karnataka government. Harish said the remaining Rs 46.79 crore will be paid to Karnataka soon. The Minister said that he will write a letter to his Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka counterparts and invite them for a meeting to break the deadlock on the pending scheme.

The officials informed the Minister that the anicut is in dilapidated stage and it is very critical to complete the head work by next summer. The package-II work progress was also slow and it is essential to complete the works by May this year to address water crisis in Mahbubnagar district through RDS.