Telangana dy CM calls KCR for debate on AP water row in Assembly

Hyderabad: Telangana deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Monday, July 8, challenged opposition leader and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) for a debate in the Assembly on the Krishna and Godavari river water with Andhra Pradesh. He also said that the BRS will lose its deposit in the coming local body elections.

“Did KCR, when he was CM, not make a public statement in Andhra Pradesh saying “no matter what happens to the state, use Krishna and Godavari waters freely”? questioned the Telangana deputy CM. Vikramarka, while addressing a meeting during the launch of development works in Mahbubabad, reiterated the Congress government’s “readiness” to hold a full discussion in the Assembly on Krishna-Godavari water allocations and challenged KCR to attend.

Stating that in spite of KCR spending ₹Rs one lakh crore on the Kaleshwaram irrigation project, it failed to irrigate even 10 acres in Telangana. “Now that the truth about Kaleshwaram is being exposed, they’re trying to cover it up with lies. They’re saying whatever they like about CM Revanth Reddy, claiming he doesn’t understand river basins. But didn’t he clearly explain the need to use Krishna and Godavari basin waters through a PowerPoint presentation at Praja Bhavan?” the Telangana deputy CM asked.

He added that grom July 12, interest-free loans will be distributed across the state to DWCRA women. “With these loans, we will make one crore women into crorepatis (millionaires). Our government is currently supplying 2,000 megawatts more power than the previous administration. Quality, uninterrupted electricity is also being supplied across Telangana. In just one year, the Praja Government spent ₹70,000 crore for the welfare of farmers,” Bhatti Vikramarka claimed.

The Telangana deputy CM also asked BRS leaders to come to the Assembly, bring their data, and debate on these issues to see “who is right, who is wrong.” On Tuesday, BRS working president KT Rama Rao had gone to the Press Club at Somajiguda challenging the CM to come and debate with him. Responding to him, Bhatti said, “If you really want to respond to the challenge, come to the Assembly — not a press club.”