Harish dares Jaipal for open debate

​Hyderabad: Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao on Tuesday challenged senior Congress leader S Jaipal Reddy for an open debate on the irrigation projects in the State. Responding to the allegations levelled by the Congress leader against Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao that the CM was giving away crores of rupees to Andhra contractors in the name of projects, Harish Rao said that the more the Congress leaders talk about the irrigation projects, the more TRS would get benefitted. Stating that Jaipal Reddy was talking with half knowledge on irrigation projects, Harish challenged the Congress leader for open debate.

Harish Rao took exception to the comments of Jaipal Reddy that no water was given under the Mission Bhagiratha. The TRS leader said that even kids would laugh at Jaipal Reddy for his comments. He said that the government, through project, provided water to 25 lakh acres in Telangana in the last four years, while Congress party during their 10-year rule could not provide water to even five lakh acres. He said that the contracts in irrigation projects were an open book and there was nothing new in what Jaipal Reddy had alleged.

It was during the Congress rule that nine companies were given status of Navratnas and projects were given to these companies only, said Rao. The Irrigation Minister also stated that some of the leaders were criticising Chandrashekar Rao only to be in news. He said that crores of rupees were given to contractors in the name of mobilisation advance during the Congress regime. Because of the Congress party’s deeds, there was a burden of Rs 2,600 crore on the exchequer. Harish said if the Congress leader failed to come for open debate, then he would have to apologise to Chandrashekar Rao for his comments.