HYDERABAD: “Neighbourhood first” is the policy of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for sharing of river waters amicably.
Rao has said that the Telangana government would maintain cordial relations with its neighbouring States, especially AP.
Both the States in future will have joint meetings to share 2,300 tmcft water allocated to both the Telugu states.
Briefing media persons on the decisions taken at the State Cabinet meeting here on Tuesday, Rao enunciated his policy of preferring conciliation to confrontation in maintaining relations with the neighbours.
The Chief Minister said: “Here is good news for Telugu-speaking people of the two sibling States. There is now a change of guard in AP. With this, a cordial atmosphere is prevailing in both Telangana and AP which is conducive for resolving issues without the intervention of Tribunals or courts. There is no need for intervention of the Governor or the Centre. The inter-state disputes could be sorted out in no time if both the Chief Ministers sit together and discuss.”
Rao recalled that dispute with Maharashtra over sharing of Godavari waters has been raging for years.
But, things have changed now. Maharashtra cooperated with Telangana in the construction of Kaleshwaram. “With the cooperation of Maharashtra, the Chanaka-Korata project too is on the verge of completion. We have good relations with Karnataka also. Karnataka and Telangana helped each other when they fell short of water in Krishna river,” he said.
“With the friendly relations with Maharashtra, Kaleshwaram project has been completed in the shortest possible time. In the first phase, 25 lakh acres will get water. Another 25 lakh acres will get water in the second phase. I will inaugurate the Kaleshwaram project on June 21. Chief Ministers of AP and Maharashtra will attend as Chief Guests,” Rao said.
He said that he held discussions with his AP counterpart YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday in Vijayawada. “A delegation of AP is expected to come to Hyderabad either on June 27 or 28. We will have discussions with AP Irrigation department officials. If necessary, TS officials too will go to Amaravati. Besides, a joint team of officials of both the States will have a meeting. Our aim is to utilise 1,480 tmcft of Godavari and 811 tmcft of Krishna water allocated to combined AP. On an average around 3,500 tmcft water is going waste into the sea every year.
The people of both the States suffered heavily due to disputes between the two sibling states in the past. Now, both of us have decided to provide irrigation facility to every inch of land in both the states by using 2,300 tmcft water,” Rao explained and added that the Cabinet meeting has endorsed the same.
“When both the Chief Ministers sit together and resolve the matters with understanding, where is the need for the intervention of the Centre or courts,” Rao said. “Our aim is to deliver good results to people in both the states.”