HYDERABAD: Responding to allegations levelled by BRS leader T Harish Rao on Andhra Pradesh’s agenda points for the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) meeting, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday asked the former to “stop false propaganda and stop spreading fabricated stories”.
Asserting that the Congress government would safeguard the river water rights of Telangana, the minister said that the agenda points proposed by the neighbouring state were “neither new nor unexpected”.
“Irrespective of which party is in power in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh has been raising the same objections before the GRMB, the Central Water Commission (CWC) and with the Jal Shakti ministry for the last 12 years,” he said. Uttam recalled that the Revanth Reddy government countered Andhra Pradesh’s objections with strong legal and technical submissions. He also recalled that the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) cleared the Sitarama project on April 24, 2025, despite objections raised by Andhra Pradesh.
“AP had opposed approvals for seven major Telangana projects — Kaleshwaram, Sitarama, Sammakkasagar, Chinna Kaleshwaram, Chanaka-Korata, Modikunta Vagu and Gudem Lift Irrigation Scheme. But we have successfully defended our projects before competent authorities,” he said.
Uttam alleged that it was the BRS government that failed to safeguard Telangana’s interests despite remaining in power for nearly a decade. “AP’s Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme, Pattiseema Lift Scheme and Polavaram-Banakacherla project witnessed much progress during the BRS tenure,” he added.
The minister dared Harish Rao to respond to allegations levelled by Telangana Rakshana Sena chief and former MLC K Kavitha that kickbacks were received from Andhra Pradesh contractors during the construction of the Kaleshwaram project.