Harish Rao demands right share of Krishna water to Telangana

Siddipet: Finance Minister T Harish Rao demanded the Centre to constitute a tribunal or hand over the inter-State water sharing issue to Brijesh Kumar Tribunal as early as possible to allocate right share of Krishna water to Telangana. Speaking to reporters on Friday, the Finance Minister said that they had taken up the issue with […]

Siddipet: Finance Minister T Harish Rao demanded the Centre to constitute a tribunal or hand over the inter-State water sharing issue to Brijesh Kumar Tribunal as early as possible to allocate right share of Krishna water to Telangana.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, the Finance Minister said that they had taken up the issue with the Centre just 42 days after the Telangana was formed in 2014. Saying that they had fought a long battle to get the Telangana State created to achieve their right share of water, Rao said that the Centre had kept it pending for seven long years.

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In the wake of Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat’s comments, who held Telangana government responsible for delay in constituting the tribunal, during a press meet in New Delhi on Thursday, Harish Rao responded saying that they had approached the Supreme Court in August 2013, 13 months after they had approached the Union government.

Rao said that the Centre needed to resolve an inter-State water dispute within a year under Section-3 of Inter-State River Water Sharing Dispute Act. Rao, who was Irrigation Minister in 2015, said that the Centre must refer the issue to a tribunal following the guidelines under Section 4. He said he had roamed from pillar to post in New Delhi to get the issue resolved for one year.

However, the Minister said that the Centre can still take a decision under Section 3 even though the case is pending in the apex court.

Saying that the Centre delayed it for seven years, the Minister said they withdrew the case from the Supreme Court in October 2021. He said they withdrew the case from the court since they had a great respect and faith in the Central government.

Saying that the Telangana government has no personal issues with Union Minister Shekhawat, Rao urged them to take a decision as early as possible. The Minister said Shekhawat had assured them to resolve all the issues in Godavari basin and he did it by approving all the projects.

However, he said that the Centre was attempting to take Krishna water to Penna basin before resolving Telangana issues. Since there were hurdles in resolving the issue, Rao urged the Centre to constitute a tribunal to give right share of Krishna water to Telangana. Medak MP Kotha Prabhakar Reddy and others were present.

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