“Maha deal” to green North Telangana: Harish

Hyderabad: Parched lands in North Telangana districts will be transformed into a green belt as it gets abundant water to irrigate several lakh acres with persistent efforts of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao bearing fruit, Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao has said.

Speaking to mediapersons before leaving for Mumbai for signing an agreement with the Maharashtra government here on Monday, Harish Rao said the Telangana government would ink a historic deal with its Maharashtra counterpart for getting water for five major irrigation projects apart from Medigadda project. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao led a team to Mumbai comprising Ministers Harish Rao, Indrakaran Reddy, Jogu Ramanna, Planning Commission Vice-Chairman Niranjan Reddy and officials. 

KCR and his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis will hold formal discussion for the charismatic deal of long pending irrigation projects in Mumbai on March 8, he said. In their presence, the officials concerned will sign agreements on five major projects to share and complete them to cater to the water needs of both the States. The Irrigation minister asserted that the redesigning of the projects will only increase ayacut level and cater to future plans to bring more acres under irrigation.

The State government will call tenders for Kaleshwaram project next week and will complete it in two-and-a-half years, he said. The State Government was committed to push the irrigation sector by allotting Rs 25,000 crore in the budget every year besides obtaining loans for the purpose, he added.  (NSS)