Telangana CM makes tech presentation to highlight irrigation scene

Hyderabad, Mar 31: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today made a power-point presentation in Legislative Assembly on irrigation scene in the state as he vowed to provide water to one crore acres of land in five years.

The main opposition Congress did not attend the audio-visual presentation, saying such a move is against standard and traditional parliamentary practices.

In the three-hour presentation, Rao sought to highlight the alleged injustice meted out to Telangana in undivided Andhra Pradesh.

He also alleged that lower riparian Telangana and AP faced a "danger" of reduced inflows with Maharashtra and Karnataka building about 450 barrages on Godavari and other rivers.

Dismissing criticism against his government, mainly by the Congress, on "re-designing of irrigation projects", Rao said it was done to ensure adequate availability of water in the rivers.

The irrigation projects of Telangana in undivided AP were designed with a conspiracy of throwing them into either inter-state disputes or environmental issues so that water reaches the non-Telangana regions, he alleged.

Observing that his government's policy is to have friendly relations with neighbouring states, Rao said the recent understanding reached by his government with Maharashtra is a case in point.

The same applied to (new) AP as well, Rao said, adding he had even told the same to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu earlier.

Rao vowed to provide irrigation facility to one crore acres in five years with major portion of irrigation works to be completed in three years.

PTI