Telangana objects to AP asking KWDT-II to stay GO 246

The State government pointed out that Telangana had refrained from filing similar applications before the Tribunal as it has objections to several projects undertaken by Andhra Pradesh.

Hyderabad: Telangana on Thursday took strong objection to the application filed by Andhra Pradesh before the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal(KWDT-II) seeking a stay of GO MS No 246 related to the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme, stating that the issue was beyond the jurisdiction of the Tribunal and that the Apex Council was the appropriate forum to raise such grievances.

Telangana raised preliminary objections as to the maintainability of the application and as to the jurisdiction of the Tribunal to hear the application in view of Section 84 of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. The State government pointed out that Telangana had refrained from filing similar applications before the Tribunal as it has objections to several projects undertaken by Andhra Pradesh. It said Andhra Pradesh was raising similar grievances in multiple fora such as the National Green Tribunal(NGT), Supreme Court, High Court and Southern Zonal Council in an abuse of the process of law, and recalled that during the Apex Council meeting in 2016, the Palamuru Rangareddy LIS project was considered and the project was not directed to stop.

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The Tribunal has granted four weeks to file their reply raising both preliminary objections as also objections on merits. Similarly, the Tribunal had granted Andhra Pradesh two weeks time thereafter to file their rejoinder to the reply, if any and has posted the application for arguments on January 24.