KADAPA: Stating that no one can question the commitment of former chief minister late YS Rajasekhara Reddy and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Rayalaseema irrigation projects, Government Whip Gadikota Srikanth Reddy alleged that Opposition leader and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu will remain as a traitor for not making his stand clear on Rayalaseema lift scheme and supporting Telangana on the issue. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Srikant Reddy said Naidu has no right to criticise the government on irrigation projects as he “mortgaged interests of the state” with regard to Krishna and Godavari waters to the upstream states.
Why Naidu or senior leader MV Mysoora Reddy, who held a press meet in Hyderabad on Wednesday and questioned Jagan Mohan Reddy’s actions on water issue, did not question Telangana government when it resorted to lifting of water from Srisailam reservoir at 796 feet. He said Rayalaseema farmers were facing hardships as Naidu could not complete even a single project when he was in power. “Now when Jagan Mohan Reddy is trying to solve the water problems of Rayalaseema, Naidu is speaking in support of Telangana,’’ he alleged.
He said Bachawat Tribunal had given an opportunity to rectify water sharing when TDP was in power in 1994-2004. However, Telugu people suffered as not even a single project was completed then. Its fallout was being experienced by the Telugu people, he said. Had the Gandikota project on Galeru-Nagari, Hanri-Neeva and Veligonda projects been completed during that period, the state would have received better water share later.
He ridiculed Naidu for making comments on the gazette issued by the Centre on river management board. Naidu was not making his stand public on RLIS since people from the region did not vote for him in the last elections.
He said Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, who makes rare appearances, was also criticising the state government over the gazette. Jagan made all-out efforts to resolve water disputes through peaceful means. When they did not yield results, the government went to court and the Centre. The government will go to any extent in its fight for water allocations for Rayalaseema projects, he said.