Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha on Thursday, July 17, demanded chief minister A Revanth Reddy’s resignation for allegedly pandering to Andhra Pradesh over Telangana’s rights on Godavari waters.
Addressing the media at her residence in Hyderabad, she said, “The entire drama enacted in Delhi on Wednesday in the name of a meeting of chief ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to discuss Godavari water issues pointed to ominous signs for Telangana.”
She questioned CM Revanth on why he denied discussing the Banakacherla reservoir project with Andhra CM N Chandrababu Naidu when its irrigation minister, Nimmala Rama Naidu, claimed otherwise. “CM Revanth had earlier said he would not discuss the Banakacherla reservoir project. But reports came in suggesting he had a meeting with Andhra irrigation minister, Nimmala Rama, before he met with Naidu. After that, the Andhra irrigation minister claimed that both chief ministers discussed the Banakacherla reservoir project and a committee would be set up for further discussions. Who is lying?” Kavitha asked.
The previous day, the chief ministers of both Telugu states discussed inter-state irrigation issues with Union Jal Shakti minister CR Patil at Shram Shakti Bhavan in New Delhi.
Kavitha alleged CM Revanth had betrayed the people of Telangana by ‘handing over irrigation projects to Andhra.’
“At yesterday’s Jal Shakti Ministry meeting on water-sharing issues between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, our chief minister failed to raise key concerns such as the Polavaram and Banakacherla river linkage projects. Instead of safeguarding Telangana’s rightful share of Godavari waters, he sat silently and effectively handed it over to Chandrababu Naidu. I strongly condemn this betrayal. A Chief Minister who cannot defend the interests of Telangana has no moral right to stay in office, we demand his immediate resignation,” he said.
The MLC alleged that both chief ministers of the Telugu states had pre-decided to award the Rs 85000 crore project to Megha Engineering Ltd for the sake of commissions.
“The bonhomie between the two cannot be missed. He still seems to be in college (Revanth had once compared his stint in TDP with college days). While he would not lose anything, the injustice that will be caused to Telangana because of Banakacherla will last forever,” Kavitha remarked.
Kavitha warned that Telangana Jagruthi will take recourse to all possible options, including approaching the courts if the Congress government does not make a sincere effort to stop the project.
She suggested that the Telangana chief minister should lead an all-party delegation to New Delhi and seek protection of Telangana’s interests ahead of Parliament’s Monsoon Session. “The delegation should make all possible efforts to ensure early clearance for the bill pending with the President of India, granting 42 percent reservations for BCs in education, employment and public life,” the MLC said.
When asked about the lack of reaction from the BRS top leaders to the abusive attack on her by a fellow MLC, Teenmar Mallanna, Kavitha said the latter’s comments are not worth discussing.
On the BRS appointing a new in-charge for the party’s Singareni Collieries Workers Union (TBGKS), a role she played until now as honorary president, Kavitha said she welcomes the responsibility given to senior leader Koppula Eshwar, who has vast knowledge of issues affecting coal mine workers.
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