Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao on Monday said that if the 25 major and medium irrigation projects in Telangana were completed with partial re-engineering of their earlier specifications, 29 lakh acres of new ayacut could be created in the State.
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi Government is committed to complete every irrigation project that was sanctioned by the previous governments. But considering the sagging levels of enthusiasm in the previous government, that caused a delay of almost 10 years, costs have gone up, he said on the floor of the Legislative Assembly, during question hour, on present status of ongoing irrigation projects in the State.
The same projects will now need an additional Rs. 15,000 crore, approximately, if government were to scrap existing contracts and call for fresh tenders. However, he said with a bit of re-engineering and giving the re-engineered works to existing contracts by incorporating cost escalation clause, the additional burden could be brought down between Rs. 2,700 and Rs. 3,000 crore. Mr. Harish Rao said this was what Government is contemplating, adding that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is getting ready for a detailed debate and discussion on the subject, he said.
