₹813 crore pending, arithmetic still under irrigation
Officials reportedly told Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy that ₹813 crore in land-acquisition and rehabilitation funds had not reached farmers. The department’s public portal does not publish the figure, and the numbers do not neatly add up.
Reported irrigation payments leave two totals—and no public district-wise ledger.
Officials told Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy at a September 21 review meeting that ₹813 crore in land-acquisition and rehabilitation funds remained pending for payment to farmers, according to a report. The reported breakdown: ₹502 crore with land-acquisition officers and ₹311 crore with collectors. Uttam directed officials to release the money immediately, or return it with reasons if payment was not possible.
The same report said ₹3,101 crore in payment requests had been submitted since April 1, against which ₹2,504 crore had been released. That leaves ₹597 crore — not ₹813 crore. The reports do not explain whether the larger figure refers to money released to district-level authorities but not disbursed, while the smaller figure represents requests yet to be released. Government arithmetic, like government irrigation timelines, would benefit from a connecting channel.
The Telangana Irrigation and CAD Department’s public portal confirms its responsibility for land acquisition and rehabilitation, but does not publish the ₹813 crore figure or a district-wise payment statement. The reports also do not establish how many families are waiting, which projects are affected, or whether payments have been made since the review. The minister’s direction is on record. The district-wise ledger is not.