Hyderabad: The inter-state Lendi irrigation project between Maharashtra and Telangana appears to have run into some unexpected complications with Telangana rebuffing Maharashtra’s request for payment of the balance amount from its share of the project cost.
The project, being built at Mukhed on the Lendi, a tributary of the Manjira river, is designed to irrigate 22,000 acres in the former combined Nizamabad district, and 27,000 acres in Maharashtra. Construction began in 1985 and Telangana was hoping that the project could be brought on stream sometime this year. A meeting between irrigation department officials of the two states on Monday discussed the current stage of the project construction and issues that need addressing.
During the discussions, Maharashtra officials reminded Telangana that its share of the project cost was ₹473.59 crore of which ₹189.73 crore were paid, and sought the payment of the balance of the amount, ₹283.86 crore, to enable Maharashtra to complete the project.
Telangana officials are learnt to have raised the issue of ‘extrordinary’ rise in the project costs and informed the Maharashtra side that release of funds will follow a thorough physical inspection of each physical component of the project, and assess the reasons for rising project costs.
Telangana’s engineer-in-chief O. Venkat Ramesh Babu also said a team from state will conduct the inspections and prepare a report following which any decision on releasing of further funds can be taken. He also said henceforth, all coordination meetings between the two sides should be held at the project site.
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