BRS Working President and MLA KT Rama Rao on Thursday criticized Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for mishandling the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapse, accusing him of rushing the project without expert consultation and shifting blame for the disaster.
Responding to CM Reddy’s claims that the delay under former CM K Chandrashekar Rao’s administration led to the collapse, KT Rama Rao hit back sharply. “If he doesn’t know how to work, it’s easy for him to put allegations on others. He started the 10-year-old project without consulting experts and engineers out of greed, and that’s why eight workers are trapped — no one knows if they are dead or alive. I suggest he focus on working instead of shifting blame,” Rao stated.
Taking a dig at Reddy’s leadership style, Rao added, “The CM should behave and talk like a chief minister, not a ‘cheap minister.'”
On a different note, KT Rama Rao highlighted India’s technological advancements while speaking at the Tech and Innovation Summit 2025. He praised Hyderabad and Bengaluru as leading tech hubs and emphasized the importance of healthy competition between the two cities.
“India’s progress in technology and innovation makes us all proud. Bengaluru is undisputedly the leader in technology in India, followed closely by my city, Hyderabad. But we’ve built a robust startup ecosystem and even surpassed Bengaluru in job creation over the last three to four years. This healthy competition can create a powerful corridor of innovation between the two cities,” he said.
As rescue efforts continue at the SLBC tunnel site, KT Rama Rao’s remarks underscore the demand for accountability and the importance of prioritizing expertise and safety in infrastructure projects.