BRS flays Cong for comprising State’s interest

Former Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao has accused the Congress government led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of compromising the interests of Telangana and misleading its people with regard to river water issues.

At a press conference here on Wednesday, Mr. Rao said the words and actions of Mr. Revanth Reddy are contradictory. He noted that the CM had hinted that he would boycott the meeting in New Delhi if Andhra Pradesh’s Banakacherla project was discussed. “Why did he rush to Delhi at midnight. What prompted this sudden trip? What secret understanding was reached in the dead of night?, he questioned.

He pointed out that the CM had falsely claimed that Banakacherla was not on the agenda. In reality, it was the first item on the agenda. While Andhra Pradesh Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu confirmed discussions on Banakacherla and the formation of a committee, Mr. Revanth Reddy denied any such discussion. “Is this the level of honesty expected from a Chief Minister?,” he wondered.

Mr. Rao pointed out that Central Water Commission, GRMB, and the Polavaram Project Authority had all rejected the pre-feasibility report for Banakacherla. “These statutory bodies, created through Parliament, denied approvals. How then did the Centre convene this meeting? Why did Revanth agree to a committee? His actions are nothing short of signing a death warrant for Telangana,” Mr. Rao said.

On telemetry, he clarified that installations up to Pothireddypadu were already set up during the BRS tenure and BRS had proposed similar arrangements at all projects.

He criticised the move to shift the KRMB office from Hyderabad to Vijayawada, calling it a betrayal.