Banakacherla: BRS blames Congress, BJP ‘silence' for AP going ahead
Failure of Telangana and Central governments to stop the Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project (PBLP) of Andhra Pradesh and silence of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, are making AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his son N. Lokesh reiterate that they would construct the project, come what may, BRS leader T. Harish Rao has said.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday, the former minister for irrigation accused Mr. Revanth Reddy of having a tacit understanding with the AP Government (Mr. Naidu) and the Centre and cooperating with the construction of the project. He sought to know why neither the State Government nor the Chief Minister or his Cabinet colleagues were not responding to Mr. Lokesh's statement.
He stated that Mr. Revanth Reddy was creating a confusing situation around the issue so that AP could continue its work pertaining to the project. Otherwise why the Chief Secretary of Telangana would write to the Ministry of Jal Shakti making it clear that the State would not attend the meeting convened to discuss the project and the Chief Minister along with Irrigation Minister and authorities would participate in the meeting and agree for a committee to discuss the outstanding issues including PBLP.
Stating that Mr. Revanth Reddy was bent up expressing gratification to his political mentor Mr. Naidu by allowing work on PBLP, Mr. Harish Rao reasoned that the silence of Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the planned project was making Mr. Naidu bulldoze his way. It was due to the cooperation of Mr. Revanth Reddy, Mr. Naidu and Mr. Lokesh were speaking with such high conviction in the matter.
The BRS leader asked the AP Government and its bigwigs why the Central agencies such as the Central Water Commission, Polavaram Project Authority, Godavari River Management Board, the Expert Appraisal Committee of MoEF had returned the PBLP proposal. He pointed out that it was because of the Telangana Congress leaders' silence had allowed expansion of Pothireddypadu Head Regulator to enhance its water drawal capacity from 11,400 cusecs to over 60,000 cusecs.
On Mr. Lokesh's statement that the AP Government had never opposed Telangana's projects including during his father's tenure as the Chief Minister during 2014-19, the BRS leader suggested that he find out who addressed seven letters to the Centre against the Kaleshwaram project during that period.
He suggested to agree for 968 tmc ft assured water in Godavari to Telangana, withdraw complaints/letters wrote against Telangana's projects, agree for 155 tmc ft more Krishna water on diversion of Godavari water to Krishna and agree for 65% share in surplus waters of Godavari before asking support for PBLP.
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