KTR, Akhilesh Discuss Water Grid, UP to Replicate

HYDERABAD: Inspired by the Water Grid programme of Telangana, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has decided to implement the same in his state starting from Bundelkhand.

KTR reached Lucknow on the invitation of the UP chief minister with regard to the Telangana government’s flagship program of Water Grid being implemented in Telangana state. Along with a team of top officials, KTR met Akhilesh Yadav and gave a PowerPoint presentation on the water grid project aimed at providing safe and potable drinking waters to every household in villages and towns in the next three years.

“It is a very good programme. We will replicate the same in UP. I will go to Telangana to study the programme,” Akhilesh Yadav said. He also said that his state government would sign an MoU with the TS government for know-how on the Water Grid programme and wanted the Telangana government to train UP engineers to implement the programme in his state.

“Akhilesh is the first CM in the country to evince interest in Water Grid programme,” Rama Rao said. Rama Rao told Akhilesh that the Water Grid concept was first implemented by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in Siddipet some 18 years ago. “Now, the same concept is being implemented across the state, after the formation of the state,” he said.

When Akhilesh sought to know about the funding of the Rs 40,000 crore massive Water Grid programme, Rama Rao explained that they were tapping loans from Hudco, Nabard and other agencies. Uttar Pradesh chief secretary, Jal Nigam managing director and others were present at the meeting.

Akhilesh Yadav hosted lunch to Rama Rao and other officials from Telangana after the meeting. Former UP chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav joined the lunch. KTR, Akhilesh and Mulayam discussed about the national politics especially the trends in Bihar Assembly elections. Mulayam said that KTR would emerge a strong political force in Telangana in the coming days.