KCR, Naidu call on Governor, complain against each other

Sit across table and resolve issues, says Governor

Hyderabad: Taking the catfight between the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to a new height, both of them met Governor ESL Narasimhan on Tuesday, apparently on the pretext of greeting him on his birthday, and lodged complaints against each other.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu held a 30-minute meeting with the Governor at Raj Bhavan.

Though officially it is said that Naidu had called on the Governor to greet him on his birthday, sources said the issue of high-handed behaviour of the Telangana government on many issues, including the Krishna water dispute and funds in Labour department, had figured during the meeting.

Sources said Naidu complained about the 'misdeeds' of the Telangana government in the recent days, including the Srisailam water row and others.

He also reportedly discussed about the institutions and organisations listed in Schedule IX and X of the AP Reorganisation Act and those that have not been included in any Schedule that have become a bone of contention between the two States with Telangana government unilaterally going ahead with their division.

The Chief Minister reportedly explained the Governor the Telangana government’s repeated violation of the Krishna River Management Board’s orders issued from time to time on utilisation of water at Srisailam reservoir for power generation. Though the situation was “very precarious” due to shortage of over 78 tmc ft of water in River Krishna this season, the Telangana government was adamantly generating power at the Srisailam Left Power House and letting out water into the sea. Regarding the Labour Department, the Chief Minister reportedly lodged a strong protest with the Governor over the Telangana government’s high-handed actions in booking cases against higher officials of the AP government and the threat issued to banks asking them to freeze accounts of the department.

The Chief Minister gave a detailed account of funds pertaining to the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board and the unnecessary dispute being created by the Telangana government over it. He reportedly told the Governor that there was no diversion of funds as being made out by Telangana. In fact, AP money was still lying in banks in Telangana, Chandrababu is learnt to have told the Governor.

The AP Chief Minister sought the Governor’s intervention to rein in the Telangana government and ensure effective implementation of the Reorganisation Act.

Meanwhile, Chandrababu will visit New Delhi on November 6 and 7 to meet Union Ministers and report the Telangana government’s illegal acts to the Centre. AP Chief Secretary I Y R Krishna Rao is also preparing a report in this regard, which he will submit to Union Cabinet Secretary and Home Secretary on the 7th.

On the other hand, the TS Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao along with a huge delegation consisting of Dy Chief Minister Mahmood Ali and others called on the Governor and greeted him. KCR had met the Governor on Monday evening over the contentious issues between the two States and complained against his counterpart in Andhra Pradesh. It is learnt that Governor had advised both of them to sit across table and resolve such issues.