TS CM calls for debate on water projects under KCR term

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has alleged former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for the “lopsided allocation of Krishna water” and called him for a debate on the allocation of river water and irrigation projects in the ensuing budget session.

“Let us discuss the white paper on projects for two consecutive days. If required we can extend the session for a few more days. I invite KCR, KT Rama Rao and T Harish Rao. The government will give ample time and assure them that the mikes will not be cut even for a minute,” the Chief Minister said addressing the media on Sunday at the State Secretariat. Criticising the BRS leaders for misleading people on the issue of handing over the management of projects on River Krishna to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), Revanth Reddy said that it was KCR who had accepted the handing over of projects to KRMB at the time of framing the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. “KCR was the brain behind the Act and also one of the authors,” he alleged.

The CM said that KCR and K Keshav Rao were MPs at the time of the formulation of the Act that laid the foundation for the handing over of the projects to KRMB. “When the discussion between the Chief Ministers of both States on the allocation of 811 TMC of water between the sibling States was held on June 18, 2015, with the KRMB, KCR and the then Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao signed allocation of 299 TMC to Telangana and 511 TMC to Andhra Pradesh,” he said.

The then Chief Minister had signed the papers without blinking an eye without demanding for 50 percent share of Krishna River water even though 68 percent of the command area under the Krishna was in the geographical area of Telangana and only 32 percent was in AP, Revanth Reddy observed.