Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Centre denies national project status to Palamuru Rangareddy lift scheme
Telangana has a huge water project called the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme.
The project is meant to lift water from the Krishna river and send it to dry farmland.
The state government asked the central government to give the project a special title called national project status.
That status can help a big project get more support and money.
But the central government said no, at least for now.
A minister named Raj Bhushan Choudhary explained that a careful technical review, called a techno-economic appraisal, must happen first.
That review cannot happen right now because there is a legal dispute between states about the Krishna river's water.
A special tribunal is hearing the dispute, and this project is part of that case.
The project's detailed report was sent for review in September 2022.
Everyone has to wait until the dispute is settled before the review can go ahead.
The Union Government has refused national project status for the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS).
Jal Shakti Minister of State Raj Bhushan Choudhary said the techno-economic appraisal of PRLIS cannot currently be carried out.
The Telangana government had sought the status for the project, but some pre-requisite factors were held up.
Telangana submitted the project's Detailed Project Report (DPR) to the Central Water Commission for appraisal in September 2022.
The project involves Krishna river waters and its inter-state aspects are before the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II, making the matter sub judice.
- Who
- The Union Government, through Jal Shakti Minister of State Raj Bhushan Choudhary, responding in the Rajya Sabha to a question by Congress MP Ranuka Chauwdary; the Telangana government had sought the status.
- What
- The Union Government refused national project status to the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS), saying the techno-economic appraisal cannot currently be carried out.
- When
- The state submitted the DPR for appraisal in September 2022; no specific date is given for the Rajya Sabha reply.
- Where
- Hyderabad, Telangana, India; the matter was raised in the Rajya Sabha.
- Why
- The project involves the use of Krishna river waters and its inter-state aspects are included in the terms of reference of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II, so the matter is sub judice and the techno-economic appraisal cannot be carried out.
Telangana government
Union Government
National project status for PRLIS
Telangana government
The Telangana government sought national project status for the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme; some pre-requisite factors were held up.
Union Government
The Union Government refused, saying a techno-economic appraisal by the Central Water Commission is an essential pre-requisite for considering any project for inclusion under its ongoing schemes, and it cannot currently be carried out because the matter is sub judice before the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II.
- Project
- Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS)
- Status sought
- National project status, sought by the Telangana government
- Decision
- Refused by the Union Government
- Reason for refusal
- Techno-economic appraisal cannot currently be carried out because the matter is sub judice before the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II
- DPR submitted
- September 2022 to the Central Water Commission
- Responding minister
- Raj Bhushan Choudhary, Jal Shakti Minister of State
- Question raised by
- Congress MP Ranuka Chauwdary in the Rajya Sabha
- Appraisal authority
- Central Water Commission, followed by the advisory committee on irrigation, flood control and multipurpose projects of DoWR, RD&GR
