TS to complain against Bajaj panel to Centre

Hyderabad: Telangana State Government had decided to lodge a complaint with the Union Ministry of Water Resources against Bajaj Committee which visited Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to address the pending Krishna river water dispute between the two states.

Before winding up the four-day visit in two states, the committee headed by AK Bajaj called on Telangana officials including special Chief Secretary (Irrigation) SK Joshi and others here.

Speaking to newsmen after the meeting with the committee, State Advisor (Irrigation) R Vidyasagar Rao said that the Telangana government took strong objection to the committee demanding that the details of the minor irrigation facility in the Telangana be given to them.

He expressed serious doubts over the committees’ ‘double standards’ in approaching Telangana and AP in seeking the details of the water utilization in Krishna and addressing the contentious issue of water sharing.

The irrigation expert said that the government wondered why the Bajaj committee turned down the TS government’s plea to consider the demand to allocate water to Telangana from Pattiseema also for diverting Godavari waters by AP state.

Rao said the committee took the stand that since the particular issue was in the purview of Brijesh Kumar tribunal, it would not give any direction on it.

He pointed out that the committee members at the meeting here on Monday told them that they would sort out the issue but after AP visit, the members said the issue would be looked after by the tribunal only.

The committee also failed in getting the details of diversion of Godavari waters to Krishna from Pattiseema project from AP government during its visit to the state, Rao said the government demanded the committee for temporary allocation of Krishna water between the two states as it would take more time for the tribunal to finalise the water allocations permanently. The committee did not show any interest on that demand either, Rao added.