PROFESSIONS, CHECKERED CAREER, AND LESSONS-PART TEN (From Librarian to CPRO to CM KCR) ...... A Journey from Khangi School to Center for Excellence : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

 PROFESSIONS, CHECKERED CAREER, 

AND LESSONS-PART TEN

(From Librarian to CPRO to CM KCR)

A Journey from Khangi School to

Center for Excellence

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Prefatory Note

(These reflections arise from close observation and lived experience during a defining phase in the history of Telangana. They are offered with deep respect for Kalvakuntla Chandrashekhar Rao, a leader of rare intellectual depth, political courage, and unwavering commitment to the idea of Telangana. What follows is not merely recollection, but an attempt to record how vision, resolve, and governance converged to shape a people’s destiny.

While this narrative draws upon a professional journey that spans eleven organizations and multiple institutional settings, it consciously begins with the final and most consequential phase of that journey. A brief reference to my academic formation is included at the outset only to provide essential context, before the account moves directly into the concluding chapter of my professional life.}

Having witnessed KCR’s leadership from close quarters, particularly his decisive intervention in the long-neglected irrigation sector, I was repeatedly awestruck by the scale and depth of his vision. When he addressed a meeting after operationalizing the multi-stage Palamuru--Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) in September 2013, every word he spoke became a learning point in the domain of irrigation projects. As CPRO to the Chief Minister, I participated in a series of high-level reviews aimed at re-engineering and reviving irrigation infrastructure and was a direct witness to KCR’s relentless engagement, amounting, in my estimation, to well over three to four thousand hours of focused work.

KCR’s sustained efforts culminated in what we witness today in the form of fully, near-fully, or partially completed irrigation projects such as Kaleshwaram, Sitarama, Devadula, Sammakka Sagar, and Palamuru--Rangareddy. His strategy was clear: revive, re-engineer, and fast-track the completion of all pending projects. Overflowing tanks and reservoirs across the State stand as visible testimony to these spectacular achievements. Projects that had remained pending for decades, namely, Kalvakurthy, Bhima, Nettempadu, Koil Sagar, Yellampally, Mid Manair, Devadula, among others, were expeditiously completed.

Against this backdrop, even a brief, bird’s-eye view of projects such as Kaleshwaram, Sitarama, Devadula, Sammakka Sagar, and PRLIS fills every Telanganite with excitement, awe, and pride. The journey from where Telangana stood at the time of State formation to where it reached during the KCR regime represents a living, concurrent history, and a role model of best and next practices in the irrigation sector.

Kaleshwaram stands as the first true man-made (KCR-made) wonder, as the world’s largest multi-stage, multi-purpose lift irrigation project, formally inaugurated by KCR in September 2019. The project comprised the Lakshmi, Saraswathi, and Parvathi barrages, along with the Annapurna Reservoir, Sri Ranganayaka Sagar, Sri Komaravelli Mallanna Sagar, and Kondapochamma Sagar. The Sitarama Project was completed in a record time of just eleven months. Other notable initiatives include the Chokkarao Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme, Sammakka Sagar Project, and the Tupakulagudem Barrage, each deserving detailed mention in their own right.

A special mention must be made of the Mega Kaleshwaram Project, from its conception to construction, each stage of which I closely observed and documented as CPRO, along with my team, while preparing press releases. Unfortunately, in an unforeseen development, when a small portion of the Lakshmi (Medigadda) Barrage bridge, forming part of this project, caved in during October 2023, a series of severe allegations followed. Repeated accusations pointed fingers at KCR, even alleging misappropriation of nearly one lakh crore rupees of public money.

While I may not delve into technical aspects, I can recall several non-technical dimensions as a participant in multiple review meetings in my capacity as CPRO. On March 20, 2015, during a significant review meeting chaired by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, at which I was present, KCR consciously articulated his vision to redesign and rename the erstwhile Pranahita--Chevella Project as the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, with the objective of achieving optimum utilization of the waters of the River Godavari.

In the same meeting, KCR proposed locating the project at Kaleshwaram, the sacred confluence of the Pranahita and Godavari rivers, and constructing a barrage there instead of at Tummuidihatti, primarily to avoid potential inter-State disputes with Maharashtra. The presence of the revered Kaleshwara Mukteshwara Swamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, further added to the sanctity of the location. Within a couple of days, KCR met his Maharashtra counterpart and obtained consent for the revised plan.

This marked the genesis and formal conception of the Kaleshwaram Project, which stands well documented. The earlier Pranahita--Chevella Sujala Sravanthi Project was an inter-State initiative that faced objections from Maharashtra regarding the construction of a barrage at Tummuidihatti. The Central Water Commission (CWC), while assessing water availability at 75 per cent dependability, including unused flows from upper riparian States, also advised a re-examination of demand–supply dynamics, either through enhancement of existing reservoir capacities or the creation of new storage structures. Accordingly, the project was comprehensively re-engineered.

The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project envisaged the construction of three barrages across the River Godavari, Lakshmi (Medigadda), Saraswathi (Annaaram), and Parvathi (Sundilla), along with their associated pump houses. The objective of this gigantic project was to bring new ayacut under irrigation while stabilizing the existing ayacut under the Sri Ram Sagar Project (Stages I and II), Flood Flow Canal, Singur, and Nizam Sagar projects. When Chief Minister KCR inaugurated the Lakshmi (Medigadda) Barrage in September 2019, my PRO colleagues and I were present.

The project also envisaged the supply of drinking water to en-route villages, the twin cities, and industrial requirements. It was a capital-intensive initiative involving massive investments in the construction of barrages, canals, tunnels, pump houses, and reservoirs, as well as electro-mechanical and hydro-mechanical equipment. Additional components included land acquisition, forest clearances, and comprehensive resettlement and rehabilitation measures.

On many occasions, I observed Chief Minister KCR in a jovial mood and seldom saw him unhappy, a rare reflection of his consistently positive and optimistic outlook. On one such occasion, I found him particularly happy and deeply honored when Hyderabad city won the prestigious ‘World Green City Award–2022’ at the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) event held in Jeju, South Korea. Hyderabad was the only Indian city selected then, for this honor and emerged as the overall winner across all six categories, surpassing global cities such as Paris, Bogotá, Mexico City, Montreal, and Fortaleza in Brazil.

The city also received the ‘Living Green for Economic Recovery and Inclusive Growth Award.’ Earlier as well, Hyderabad had been recognized with the ‘Tree City of the World’ awards for 2020 and 2021 by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Arbor Day Foundation. The city was also ranked the best city to live in India in Mercer’s ‘Quality of Living (India) Rankings–2019.’ These achievements were made possible by the massive plantation drives undertaken through various greening initiatives across Hyderabad city.

Good governance makes a difference, and the leader makes a huge difference: and that leader was K Chandrashekhar Rao. The transformation triggered by the unprecedented, inclusive, and all-round progress witnessed since the formation of Telangana on June 2, 2014, merits a detailed research study at institutions such as Harvard Business School. Every poll promise made, both in the first and second Assembly elections, was implemented in letter and spirit, and in several instances, the outcomes went far beyond the stated commitments.

When the State of Telangana was formed, it was engulfed by multiple crises: power, agriculture, and financial, plunging the nascent State into a vortex of uncertainty. At this critical juncture, K Chandrashekhar Rao assumed office as Chief Minister. From day one, his priority was to restore fiscal stability and correct systemic distortions. With focused attention on State finances, things began to move swiftly. Through frequent deliberations with financial, irrigation, and domain experts, KCR effectively kick-started a journey of recovery that steadily evolved into a phase of remarkable growth.

Telangana, which ranked among the lowest in the country in per capita income, per capita power consumption, and Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) at the time of its formation, rose to a number one position nationally on several key indicators. Per capita income increased to ₹3,12,398, while GSDP expanded from around ₹5 lakh crore to over ₹13 lakh crore. Per capita power consumption reached 2,126 units, exceeding the national average of 1,255 units by nearly 70 per cent. Installed power capacity rose to 18,756 megawatts, with peak demand touching 15,497 megawatts: an unparalleled achievement. By every measurable standard, Telangana’s growth was inclusive.

Underpinning this transformation was an extraordinary degree of committed hard work: continuous brainstorming, expert inputs, scientific and precise planning, and the mobilization of financial resources from multiple institutions and sources. Above all, it involved constant persuasion and leadership at every milestone and turning point. Notably, in terms of advances and debt, Telangana stood at the 23^rd position, with 22 States ahead of it, a fact clearly borne out by Reserve Bank of India reports, which consistently indicated stable and sustainable economic growth.

The massive, ambitious, and truly gigantic Mission Bhagiratha, the Safe Drinking Water Supply Scheme, which supplied crores of liters of drinking water free of cost, stands as another unprecedented success of the KCR government. While rural households received free drinking water, urban poor households were provided tap connections for a nominal one rupee, a measure unparalleled anywhere in India. The Union Government itself placed this achievement on record in Parliament on multiple occasions, acknowledging the scale and success of the initiative.

With intellectual clarity, engineering insight, and relentless dedication, Chief Minister KCR, accompanied by domain experts, travelled to the nooks and corners of every district, climbing hillocks, surveying terrain, measuring contours, and extensively using tools such as Google Maps to identify optimal elevations from which water could flow by gravity. This painstaking groundwork resulted in a foolproof, infallible, and meticulously designed scheme, engineered to minimize power consumption and maximize gravity-based water flow, ultimately making Mission Bhagiratha a sustainable reality.

Mission Kakatiya rejuvenated, revived, and revitalized over 46,000 tanks across Telangana in a phased manner. Each tank was transformed into a functional reservoir, restoring irrigation potential and supplying water to the associated ayacut in villages. Importantly, Mission Kakatiya was neither an afterthought nor a scheme conceived post-government formation. It was the outcome of deliberate and decisive thinking that emerged from a series of intensive brainstorming reviews, undertaken even before the formation of the State of Telangana.

Initiatives such as Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bhima, Dalit Bandhu, the Dharani Portal for seamless land registrations, the Green Fund for Telangana Ku Haritha Haram, transformative reforms in health and education including Kanti Velugu, KCR Kits, Basti Davakhanas, medical colleges in every district, residential institutions, overseas scholarships along with Aasara pensions, Kalyana Lakshmi, Shaadi Mubarak, double-bedroom housing, welfare programs for SCs, STs, BCs, minorities, women, Brahmins, employees, sweeping administrative reforms through new Panchayati Raj and Municipal Acts, sheep distribution, exponential IT and industrial growth, farmer platforms, and the Strategic Road Development Plan in Hyderabad, together define the Telangana Role Model.