Chief Minister A.Revanth Reddy addressing a press conference after a review meeting on irrigation issues at the State secretariat in Hyderabad on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G.
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has announced that his government will release a white paper on the irrigation projects and their status during the forthcoming budget session of the State legislature and is prepared to allow a two-day debate on the issue.
He dared former Chief Minister and Opposition leader K.Chandrasekhar Rao to be present in the Assembly during the debate where the government intends to furnish proof relating to “misgivings” of the previous BRS government in irrigation projects. The irrigation sector was allowed to collapse during Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao’s reign when he was handling the portfolio and also when his nephew T. Harish Rao was Irrigation Minister during the first term of the BRS (then TRS) government.
The Chief Minister pooh-poohed the reports that Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao was planning to launch protests in Nalgonda “to expose the Congress government’s failures” and asked the BRS leaders to come and participate in the debate. “We are ready for a joint sitting of the legislature to discuss the issue. Let Mr.Chandrasekhar Rao, Mr.Harish Rao, K.T. Rama Rao and Kalvakuntla Kavita participate in the debate. But Mr.Chandrasekhar Rao should sit through the debate,” he said.
Mr.Revanth Reddy, who is also the Pradesh Congress Committee president, launched a trenchant attack on the previous government for “mortgaging the interests of the State in lure of commissions” and said the BRS was trying to cover up its mistakes by spreading “falsehood” against the Congress which recently came to power in the State. Mr.Chandrasekhar Rao was Union Minister, his nephew T. Harish Rao was Minister in YSR Cabinet and senior leader Naini Narasimha Reddy was the in-charge of Kadapa district when the expansion of Pothireddypadu project was taken up.
“These leaders mortgaged the interests of the State for the sake of their Ministerial portfolios and did not utter a single word when Pothireddypadu’s capacity was being enhanced,” he said.
After the formation of Telangana, Mr.Chandrasekhar Rao-led government remained silent on Muchumarri project taken up by former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu. This was followed by a “tacit understanding” with the present A.P. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy allowing the neighbouring State to draw 8 tmcft a day. The A.P, government issued GO Rt No.203 on May 5, 2020 for drawing 8 tmcft to Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation scheme.
This was preceded by a meeting between Mr.Jagan Mohan Reddy and Mr.Chandrasekhar Rao on January 14 the same year wherein the two reached an understanding on Krishna water-sharing. The BRS government deliberately stayed away from the KRMB meeting on August 5, 2020, as the A.P. government was about to finalise tenders for the Rayalaseema project on August 10. Drawing of 4 tmcft of water a day from Pothireddypadu project was allowed during YSR’s government and Mr.Jagan Reddy’s government is allowed to draw another 8 tmcft a day for Rayalaseema lift irrigation scheme.
Coupled with this was close to 1 tmcft water through the Muchumarri project during Mr.Chandrababu Naidu’s tenure. The neighbouring State was allowed to draw 12 tmcft to 13 tmcft water a day but the government remained silent over the development. He alleged that the BRS (then TRS) government had surrendered to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh as the then Chief Minister was intent on “commissions” and mortgaged the interests of the State.
“Mr.Chandrasekhar Rao indulged in theft of water from Telangana without the knowledge of the people. Injustice done to Telangana during the 10-year tenure of Mr.Chandrasekhar Rao is much more than what happened during the 50 years in the erstwhile united State,” Mr. Revanth Reddy said.
