Warangal:  Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao inspected the project site on May 20 and announced, “With the prestigious Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project on the verge of completion, there is a need for the temple area to be developed as a tourist destination and a spiritual hub. The state government is keen in this endeavour and Rs 100 crore will be allocated in the next budget for this purpose.” 

The chief minister and his wife Shobha visited the Kaleshwara Mukteshwara Swamy Temple and Parvati Temple on the banks of river Godavari in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district and spent some time in the premises speaking to the priests.

Rao also said that as the Kaleswaram project would gain prominence, lakhs of people would visit the place so the area around the temple must be developed. He also wants to have a Kalyana Mandapam (wedding hall) and a place for discourses in the premises.

TRS chief also told officials that on the completion of the Kaleshwaram barrage, the water from river Godavari will be lifted to flow for 170 km until it touches the feet of Dharmapuri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy and around 45 lakh acres of agricultural land would be irrigated for both crops (Kharif and Rabi). Expansion plans should include construction of residential quarters for the priests besides a vedic school and a college.