State Cabinet to Meet in Hyderabad on July 17 to Discuss Irrigation Projects

The state cabinet is scheduled to hold its next meeting in Hyderabad on Friday, July 17, with a primary focus on discussing various irrigation projects and their revised cost estimates. The high-level meeting will be chaired by the Chief Minister of the state.

According to the preliminary agenda listed for the meeting, the cabinet is expected to begin the session by ratifying several decisions that were taken during the previous cabinet meeting held on July 2.

Following the ratification of those prior decisions, the cabinet will focus on the proposed cost escalations in the project components of major state irrigation works. Specifically, the ministers will deliberate on the revised estimates for the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme, which is also known as PRLIS. In addition to PRLIS, the cabinet will also discuss the cost escalations associated with the J Chokka Rao Devadula lift irrigation project.

The preparation for this upcoming cabinet agenda involved key government figures. Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy have already held a meeting with the Chief Minister. This preparatory meeting was specifically focused on the inclusion of these key irrigation projects in the cabinet agenda.

In addition to cost and project approvals, the cabinet is slated to discuss political strategy regarding water resources. The opposition's demand to lift Godavari river water from the Kannepalli pump house of the Kaleshwaram project is expected to come up for discussion. Sources indicate that the cabinet will use the meeting to formulate a strategy and take a decision on how to effectively counter the opposition onslaught on this matter.

The Friday meeting is thus expected to address both the financial aspects of the state's major irrigation infrastructure and the political challenges surrounding the Kaleshwaram project.