KCR fires at Centre’s anti-Telangana stand over Krishna River issue

The Chief Minister assured that the State government will take all measures to ensure that farmers do not face any troubles due to lack of Krishna River waters in future.

Haliya: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has accused the Union government of adopting an ‘anti-Telangana stand’ over sharing of Krishna River waters in the ongoing dispute between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He said the Andhra Pradesh government was resorting to ‘dadagiri’ and constructing unauthorised irrigation projects on River Krishna without valid permissions.

This is for the first time that the Chief Minister had responded in public to the Union Jal Shakti Ministry’s Gazette notification bringing 107 irrigation projects under the jurisdiction of river management boards and taking control over all the projects constructed by the State. Rather than resolving the dispute and fixing Telangana’s share, the Centre had decided to take control over the projects commencing October this year, he said.

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Addressing the Pragathi Sameeksha meeting at Haliya on Monday, Chandrashekhar Rao assured that farmers of Nagarjunasagar ayacut need not worry as the Telangana government was planning to divert Godavari River waters from Palair to Pedda Devulapalli tank near Nagarjunasagar to meet the irrigation requirements of Nagarjunasagar ayacut, which is in the Krishna River basin. The officials have already taken up the field survey for the project. “We have fought hard to achieve the State and will fight another battle to secure Krishna River water for our farmers,” he said.

The Chief Minister assured that the State government will take all measures to ensure that farmers do not face any troubles due to the lack of Krishna River waters in future. He reiterated his commitment to complete all 15 lift irrigation schemes sanctioned for the erstwhile Nalgonda district within the next year-and-half. He was addressing the Pragathi Sameeksha meeting with the elected representatives of Nagarjunasagar constituency at Haliya on Monday.

The TRS president also took potshots at the Opposition parties for their criticism of the Telangana Dalit Bandhu scheme scheduled to be launched on August 16. He reminded that former Minister K Jana Reddy too ridiculed him over providing free and uninterrupted power to farmers. “He had even vowed to join TRS if we succeeded in implementing our promise within two years. We have done what we had promised, but Jana Reddy contested on the Congress ticket during the last two elections.
As he went back on his word, people of Nagarjunasagar constituency taught him a befitting lesson,” he said. The Chief Minister stated that people have a better understanding of governance and hence, they know whom to vote.

The Chief Minister said the Dalit Bandhu scheme was giving sleepless nights to the Opposition leaders and hence, they were trying to create unnecessary fears among people over its implementation. “People should teach a lesson for such political parties which are obstructing the progress,” he added.

Water-tight security at Haliya

Following intelligence inputs that Dalit Shakthi Programme (DSP) and BJYM members were trying to disrupt the Chief Minister’s programmes in Haliya, the police made elaborate security arrangements on Monday.

About 1,500 police personnel, including two Superintendents of Police, four Additional SPs and 10 DSPs, were deployed at Haliya. Personnel from Nalgonda, Suryapet and Sangareddy districts were also drawn for security arrangements.

The two-km stretch from the helipad to the venue of the meeting (Agricultural market yard) was barricaded as a precautionary measure. Shops along the route were closed by the police until the CM’s departure, and people were allowed into the meeting premises only after checking the passes. A few leaders of BJYM and DSP were also into preventive custody.

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