Now, Telangana, Andhra slug it out over irrigation projects

Hyderabad, Jun 12: After the cash-for-vote controversy, the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Governments were today engaged in a fresh war of words over the construction of irrigation projects.

"When we are initiating this project that would give 3.5 lakh acres (irrigation facility), an Andhra 'sannasi' (worthless person) is speaking.

He says where is water and how would you build the project?," Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said, speaking after laying the foundation for Dindi irrigation project in Nalgonda district.

Rao showed a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the irrigation venture that was prepared in 2008 and said it had cleared under undivided AP. "Past Governments have given orders- whether it was Dindi or Palamuru lift irrigation project.

These are not new projects. We did not get water then because they only issued GOs and handed over useless papers to us.

"Today, Telangana has come into existence and Telangana children are running the Government. So, when we are about to start project after surveys, these Andhra are staring a dispute.

Come what may, I submit that I will get water in two years," Rao asserted. Rao, who laid the foundation stone for Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation project yesterday, had slammed the AP Irrigation Minister for his comments.

Telangana Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao said today the irrigation projects being pointed out by AP Government are not new ones. "They say all these are new projects. They are saying these projects are being built without taking permissions.

Government Order (GO) was issued for Dindi project in 2007 in undivided Andhra Pradesh. On August 8, 2013, then Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy gave the GO for conducting a survey for Palamuru lift irrigation scheme.

Talking about the comments made by Chandrasekhar Rao yesterday, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K E Krishna Murthy took objection the language used by him.

"We condemn what was spoken (by Rao) while launching the Palamuru lift irrigation scheme. We advise him to change his language first. Going by your language, it is clear you don't have an understanding of the Constitution."

PTI