Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Sunday alleged that it was the previous BRS government headed by K. Chandrasekhar Rao which surrendered irrigation projects on Krishna and Godavari rivers to the Centre but now running a false propaganda against the Congress government.
Addressing a press conference, he slammed KCR for his allegation that the Congress government handed over the project.
He said KCR was trying to blame the Congress government for all the wrongs done by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government. He dared the former chief minister to participate in the debate on irrigation projects in the State Assembly during the coming session. Revanth Reddy said the government will release white papers on irrigation projects during the session and there will be a debate for two days.
“Let KCR, his son, daughter and nephew come to the session and participate in the debate. They can speak as long as they want,” he said.
“They should come to the Assembly and participate in debates if they have honesty. Let the facts come out. Let the people know who betrayed Telangana and who did injustice to the state,” he added. The Chief Minister said that if necessary, the debate will be extended beyond two days.
Alleging that BRS was trying to derive political mileage through false propaganda, he said the seed for handing over projects to the Centre was sown when KCR was Member of Parliament.
He claimed that the issue of handing over projects to the Centre was included in Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. TRS (now BRS) raised no objection and KCR cast his vote to support the Reorganisation Act.
He claimed that at the meeting of Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) on June 18, 2015, the issue of distributing 811 TMC water was discussed with the chief ministers of both the states. “KCR who was chief minister and Harish Rao who was irrigation minister signed on the agreement allocating 511 TMC to Andhra Pradesh and 299 TMC to Telangana. They did injustice to Telangana by not demanding 50 per cent share for Telangana.” Revanth Reddy said that 68 per cent of Krishna river is in Telangana and only 32 per cent is in Andhra Pradesh.
As per the international water policies, Telangana should get over 500 TMC but by signing the agreement, KCR and Harish Rao permanently handed over Telangana’s due share to Andhra Pradesh.
He alleged that in the KRMB meeting held in 2022 and again on May 19, 2023, KCR agreed to hand over 15 projects.
He alleged that when Krishna water was diverted to Andhra Pradesh through the Pothireddypadu project during YSR’s regime, KCR and Harish Rao had supported it.
He recalled that TRS was part of the Congress-led government formed in 2004 in united Andhra Pradesh.
KCR was minister at the Centre and Harish Rao and N. Narasimha Reddy were ministers in the state Revanth Reddy said Congress leaders in Telangana fought against injustice to Telangana through diversion of water but KCR did not help them and surrendered to YSR.
He also claimed that present Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy discussed Krishna water issue with KCR for six hours during the meeting at Pragati Bhavan on January 14, 2020 and KCR gave green signal to Jagan to divert daily 8 TMC water through Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation project.
He said when Jagan Mohan Reddy sent the police force to occupy Nagarjuna Sagar project, KCR failed to respond.
He alleged that KCR also cooperated with Andhra Pradesh when N. Chandrababu Naidu was chief minister and the Muchumarri project was constructed.
“In the past, Telangana had the upper hand on Krishna projects in the past but KCR surrendered to the pressure from YSR, Chandrababu and Jagan,” he said.
He alleged that for the sake of positions and commissions, KCR cooperated in water theft and neglected SLBC and Kalwakurthy lift irrigation projects.
Revanth Reddy alleged that Telangana suffered more under KCR rule than under the united Andhra Pradesh.
He asked why KCR did not stop illegal projects of Andhra Pradesh for 10 years.
The Chief Minister clarified that the minutes of the recent meeting of KRMB were written wrongly and the officials have written a letter about this to the Centre on January 27.
He claimed that the Congress government is fighting for the water rights of Telangana.
Irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy clarified that projects have not been handed over to KRMB. He alleged that the previous government spent thousands of crores on projects but failed to irrigate even one acre.
Alleging that KCR destroyed irrigation projects, he said the BRS leader has no right to speak on the issue.