Congress blame-game on Krishna projects smacks of ignorance: Prakash Rao

Having come to power, now they need to take a legitimate stand on the issue to serve the interests of the State in the long run, BRS leader V Prakash Rao said

Hyderabad: Congress leaders, who were trying to point accusing fingers at the previous BRS government over the take-over of Krishna basin projects – Nagarjuna Sagar Dam and Srisailam along by the Krishna River Management Board, were never in the frontlines of the fight for Telangana State or its interests, said V Prakash Rao, BRS leader and former chairman, Telangana Water Resources Development Corporation.

Having come to power, now they need to take a legitimate stand on the issue to serve the interests of the State in the long run, he said.

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Talking to Telangana Today, he said the need of the hour was to ensure that the tone and tenor of the voice of both the government and the opposition was the same and reflected their sincere approach to safeguard the interest of the State. He explained that the BRS government had for the last 10 years been relentlessly fighting for an equal share in Krishna waters. It had staked a claim for sharing of water with Andhra Pradesh on 50:50 ratio.

“But in fact, Telangana is entitled for a much larger greater share. Nearly 68 per cent of the Krishna basin falls within Telangana. Our rightful entitlement should be 68 per cent basing on its extent of river basin compared to AP. But unfortunately, the new government is yet to spell out its stand,” he said.

It is hard to understand why the Congress government could not mount pressure on the Centre for sharing of Krishna water between the two Telugu States on 50:50 ratio. The government seemed to be in a state of confusion over the water issues. They cannot justify their blame-game as the need of the hour was water. No government can afford to be complacent on such serious issues. The government stand on Krishna river water sharing smacks of ignorance, Prakash Rao said.

The Chief Minister had gone on record seeking to involve Karnataka for resolving the issue. This would be a blunder on his part. Both the Telugu States would stand to lose on this count. Initially, we also though on the same lines but realised ultimately that Karnataka had nothing to do with the en bloc allotment given to the undivided AP to be shared between the residuary States, he said.

Leaders such as Konda Surekha and N Uttam Kumar Reddy were part of the YSR government that was responsible for the water issues to crop up. But they never raised their voice against the water loot depriving Telangana of its riparian share, he noted.