Telangana, Andhra Pradesh friendship intact despite tussle over Pothireddypadu: KCR

The Chief Minister said the State government recently constituted a committee to demand the Centre for an additional allocation of 650 tmc surplus water from Godavari.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (File | EPS)
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (File | EPS)

HYDERABAD: Despite the tussle between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh over the latter’s proposal to enhance the capacity of the Pothireddypadu with a lift irrigation scheme at Srisailam reservoir, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday affirmed that both the States continue to remain bosom friends.

“Even today, we (both the State governments) are working together,” Rao told the reporters here on Monday.He, however, hastened to add that when it comes to the interests of Telangana, he would continue to fight for its rights.

When asked about the Andhra Pradesh’s GO 203, the Chief Minister said, “How can we trust that the AP would divert only the flood waters to Rayalaseema from Srisailam through Pothireddypadu. When we have doubts and the AP’s actions hurt the interests of Telangana, we will definitely fight against it.”

He said he wished in the past that the Rayalaseema region in Andhra Pradesh too should get water. “I suggested that there is surplus water in Godavari and AP can divert it to quench the thirst of the Rayalaseema region. I had advised AP that both the States should work together, shedding egos,” Rao recalled.

The Chief Minister said the State government recently constituted a committee to demand the Centre for an additional allocation of 650 tmc surplus water from Godavari.

“The allocated water to Telangana in Godavari is 950 tmcft. We will seek 650 tmcft more of the surplus water for our State,” Rao said and pointed out the States’s demand should be met first before talking about linking Cauvery and other rivers. He recalled that when AP filed a case in the SC against Palamuru-Rangareddy, the court suggested both States to resolve the matter in the Apex Council.

“At the Apex Council meeting, it was decided to carry on with our own projects ( Palamuru-Rangareddy and Pattiseema),” Rao said. Refuting the allegations of the Opposition parties on the Pothireddypadu controversy, the CM recalled that he only had fought against Pothireddypadu in the past while the Congress ministers from Telangana did not utter a word after the then CM, YS Rajasekhara Reddy, had built the head regulator.

“The Opposition is clueless which issue they should take up since raising trouble over Pothireddypadu will only help me as no one had fought as I did against Pothireddypadu when it was being built,” he said.

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