Hyderabad, Aug.20 (Hydnow): Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has welcomed the Centre’s decision to hold Apex Council meeting on Aug 25. The CM made it clear that all the disputes, doubts expressed by the AP state government and Centre on sharing of river waters will be clarified and cleared. He also said that at the Apex Council meeting, the Telangana government would raise its objections on the water sharing issues. The Chief Minister also decided to write a letter to the Centre expressing acceptance to participate in the Apex Council meeting. In the letter, issues to be incorporated in the Agenda would also be pointed out.
The CM held a review meeting on Wednesday at Pragathi Bhavan here to finalise the strategy to be adapted at the Apex Council meeting. Government’s Chief Advisor Rajiv Sharma, Water Resources Advisor SK Joshi, State Planning Commission Vice Chairman Vinod Kumar, State Rythu Bandhu Samithi President Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, MLC Subhash Reddy, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, Principal Secretary (Water Resources Development) Rajat Kumar, Principal Secretary to CM S Narsing Rao, E-in-C Nagender Rao, Officials Koteswar rao, Prasad, Vijay Kumar, Venkata Narayana, Senior Advocate Ravinder Rao and others participated.
The CM has instructed the officials concerned to prepare comprehensive information on all the objections that the AP Government and Centre had put forth and they should be clarified at the Council meeting. The CM said that there were no new projects in the Telangana state; the projects approved in the united AP were redesigned to suit to the needs of the Telangana State. It was decided that the same argument with proofs should be placed before the Apex Council. Details such as when the projects were sanctioned? How much money was spent on them? How much money was spent on these projects at the formation of the
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Telangana State? How much land was acquired? How many TMCs were allocated? And other such information should be kept ready for the Apex Council meeting, the CM instructed.
The CM said that at the Apex Council it should be explained that the Telangana state is executing
projects in tune with the Bachawat Tribunal Award. It was decided to strongly oppose and register objections over enhancing the capacity of Pothireddy Padu as well as the new Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation project taken by the AP government at the Apex Council meeting, The CM also instructed the officials to take the AP government for task for illegally utilising water from Godavari and Krishna rivers in contravention to the Tribunal Award. The CM instructed the officials to prepare documents, information and data in this regard. The CM made it clear that the so- called objections raised by AP Government and the Centre have no meaning and were baseless.
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The CM said in the past several complaints lodged with regard to injustices being meted out to Telangana State. He said in the proposed Apex Council meeting, all these injustices would be placed before the Apex Council and request for the early justice in this regard would be made. (Hydnow)