Alleging that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was trying to stall the development of backward districts of Mahbubnagar and Nalgonda, Telangana Major Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao accused the former of hoodwinking the people of Andhra Pradesh who were questioning his government’s failures.
Accuses TDP chief of trying to stall Palamuru, Dindi projects
What do you say, Naidu?
-Palamuru project was promised by Naidu when he was CM of combined AP
-Naidu government itself said those days that Telangana had a share of 290 tmc in assured waters of Krishna river
-Survey for Palamuru project was ordered during Kiran Kumar Reddy regime with an allocation of 70 tmc of water
-Both Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi, during their election speeches, promised to complete the Palamuru project
-If flood waters of 197 tmc in Krishna river are apportioned, Telangana would get 100 tmc more
-Since 80 tmc of Godavari water is being diverted to Krishna basin through Pattiseema, Telangana should get 45 tmc of Krishna water as compensation
-If Hyderabad gets 60 tmc of water for drinking purpose, Andhra people living here would get 25 tmc of water
Reacting strongly to the letters written by the Chandrababu Naidu government to the Centre describing the Palamuru and Dindi lift irrigation projects as illegal, Harish said in a strongly-worded statement that the Telugu Desam Party government was enacting dramas on the two projects only to divert the attention of the people of AP, who were detesting his government. Harish said Naidu might write any number of letters, but he would not be able to stop the Telangana government from going ahead with the construction of two projects.
“Naidu has incurred the wrath of the people as he has miserably failed to achieve special status to Andhra Pradesh as promised in the elections. The resentment among the people against his government is brewing with every passing day. They have lost all hopes on Naidu,” the minister said. He alleged that Naidu was unable to digest the development of Mahabubnagar and Nalgonda districts and hence, was trying to put spokes in the execution of Palamuru and Dindi irrigation projects.
Harish pointed out that the Telangana government had produced enough documentary evidences to prove that both the projects were conceived during the Congress regime in the past, but still, the TDP government in AP was describing them as new ones without permissions. Stating that the letters of the TDP had no head or tail, the minister said in the past, too, the TDP leaders had written similar letters to the Centre opposing the Telangana State formation.
“They could not stop the formation of Telangana and now, they won’t succeed in stalling the irrigation projects as well,” he said. Harish reminded that the Palamuru project was promised during the regime of Chandrababu in combined Andhra Pradesh. It was said Telangana had a share of 290 tmc of assured water, out of 360 tmc of water available in Krishna River. During the regime of N Kiran kumar Reddy, a GO was issued for survey of the Palamuruproject with an allocation of 70 tmc of water.
He pointed out that during the last general elections, present Modi had mentioned the Palamuru project and criticised Congress president Sonia and her son Rahul for not completing the projects. Harish said during the election campaign a few days later, Rahul Gandhi had also promised to complete the project, if the party was voted to power. He said that share of the State in the flood waters of Krishna was determined as 197 tmc of and even if it got 50 per cent of it, it would cross 100 tmc more.
Referring to the Bachawat Tribunal order, he said that if the lower riparian States diverts water, the upper ones should be given a share. As AP was taking away 80 tmc of Godavari water in the name of Pattiseema, Telangana should get 45 tmc of Krishna water. He made it clear that first water should be allocated for drinking water and pointed out that Hyderabad city was in Krishna basin and “therefore Krishna water should be given to it.” He said that the population in HMDA area was 1.42 crore and it needs 60 tmc of water.
“Does Telangana have not the right to take that water?” he questioned. Referring the TDP’s report to Justice Srikrishna Committee, Harish recalled that the report had clearly mentioned that Hyderabad had 40 lakh Andhra people. He informed that if Hyderabad was given 60 tmc of water, 25 tmc would go to Andhra people. Questioning the stand of the TDP that no project should be constructed without permissions, he wanted to know whether Pattiseema project had permissions. He questioned how other projects had been taken up without permissions.
He said States have a right to construct projects as per water allocations. He said as per Bachawat Tribunal, Telangana had an allocation of 300 tmc of water and present projects were not utilising even 100 tmc. He said if yet to be allocated flood water of 100 tmcs, compensatory water of 45 tmc for Pattiseema project, water for Hyderabad, extra water due to the silting of NagarjunaSagar and Srisailam reservoirs are added, five or six projects like Palamuru could be constructed.
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