Water dispute a ‘secret pact’ between KCR, Jagan: Bandi Sanjay Kumar

Hyderabad: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state unit president Bandi Sanjay Kumar termed the Krishna basin water projects taken up by the Andhra Pradesh government as the outcome of a “secret agreement” between Chief Ministers Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy made in August 2019.

He accused Chandrashekar Rao of being the “number one cheater of Telangana“ who allowed AP to divert Telangana’s share of water to that state. Sanjay recalled that in the first apex committee meeting, the state government agreed to provide 512 tmc ft of water to AP and 299 tmc ft to Telangana. He questioned the Chief Minister how he had agreed to the decision in the first meeting and what was in his mind while signing the agreement.

Sanjay alleged that Chandrashekar Rao helped Jagan Mohan Reddy during the last Assembly elections with Rs. 600 crore through a contractor and also advised the AP CM to get commissions from contractors of Rayalaseema, Polavaram and other irrigation projects, adding that both the Chief Ministers were trying to fool people of the Telugu states.

He alleged that Chandrashekar Rao agreed to the AP CM’s proposal of 34 percent of Krishna water for Telangana state and 66 per cent for Andhra Pradesh, but now was playing games with the sentiments of people of Telangana with the water issue.

He also found fault with the Chief Minister for not speaking a word about the expansion works of projects on the Krishna river for a year and a half. Coming down heavily on Chandrashekar Rao for neglecting construction of the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy lift irrigation project which was started before the Kaleshwaram project and not allocating sufficient funds for south Telangana projects, the Karimnagar MP accused the latter of not attending the apex council meeting even though the Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat tried twice to settle the dispute over the share of water in Krishna River.

With the Huzurabad bypoll fast nearing, Chandrashekar Rao conspired to get the apex council meeting postponed and was trying to blame the Centre to cover up his failure and carrying out his secret agenda, Sanjay said.

Referring to the Chief Minister’s letter to the Jal Shakti minister to notify the KRMB territory, the BJP state president requested the Centre for justice to both the Telugu states. Alleging that the Telangana Chief Minister was trying to get votes by raking up water sentiments in Huzurabad bypolls, Sanjay said it was unfortunate that Rao was trying to provoke the police officers of both the states to attack each other in his efforts to garner votes.

He challenged the Chief Minister to come for discussion over his statements on Krishna basin projects and said if he could prove them wrong, he was ready to die in Srisailam dam, else, Chandrashekar Rao should apologize by touching his feet with the latter’s nose.