HYDERABAD: The chairmen of the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) and Godavari River Management Board (GRMB), who were under pressure from the Jal Shakti Ministry to follow the timelines for implementation of the gazette notification, convened the joint emergency meeting of the Boards on Monday, even as Telangana requested for postponement of the meeting. The TS officials, who were busy attending the cases in the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT), could not attend the meeting. However, the chairmen of both Boards convened the meeting with Andhra Pradesh officials and discussed the implementation of the provisions of the gazette notification, which brings 107 irrigation projects in both States under the jurisdiction of the respective Boards.
“We are under pressure from the Jal Shakti Ministry to meet the timelines. We have to put in place the organisational structure of the Boards before August 14, as directed by the Ministry,” an official from the GRMB told Express. As they did not make much headway during Monday’s meeting, it remains to be seen whether another round of the meetings would be held before August 14.
Meanwhile, during the hour-long meeting, the chairmen of the Boards stated that members from AP, TS and the departments concerned in both States were ‘duty bound’ to extend their unreserved cooperation to the Boards towards implementation of various clauses of the notification in letter and spirit as per the timelines prescribed under the clauses.
As per the provisions of the gazette notification, the GRMB and KRMB have to approve and put in place an organisational structure within 30 day from the date of notification, i.e, July 15. The AP government officials informed the Boards that they would submit the desired information shortly. AP officials led by Irrigation Secretary J Syamala Rao said that they would approaching the Central government for some modifications on the clauses of the gazette notification and the list of projects under the schedules. With regard to the seed money, the AP officials said that the matter was under examination by the AP government. They also stated that they would furnish other information to the Boards within one month.
Deployment of CISF
Regarding the deployment of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Jal Shakti Ministry has already taken up the matter with the Ministry of Home Affairs. CISF personnel will guard the projects which are listed under Schedule- 2 of the notification. AP Irrigation Secretary Syamala Rao said that they would cooperate with the Boards for the implementation of the gazette notification. He said that they would approach the Centre for the projects which were protected by the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Boards Under Pressure To Meet Timeline
“We are under pressure from the Jal Shakti Ministry to meet the timelines. We have to put in place the organisational structure of the Boards before August 14, as directed by the Ministry,” said a GRMB official