Telangana hiding truth on Krishna sharing: Uma

​New Delhi: AP Irrigation Minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao on Wednesday accused Telangana Government of cheating and telling lies regarding its claims on Krishna water sharing and on the purview of Krishna Water Management Board (KWMB).

Demanding the Centre to publish the draft notification of the KWMB regarding bringing all projects under its purview, Uma Maheswara Rao said that Telangana’s contention that AP was seeking only Nagarjunasagar to be brought under it was utterly false.

The Centre should also call for the apex body's meeting to decide on the distribution and share of waters as per the existing Bachawat Tribunal as Telangana argument was based on fallacies. It was also wrong to take up Godavari water issue now while discussing or debating Krishna water issue, the Minister said. Both these issues could not be confused or overlapped as to discuss Godavari water issue, there was another Board for the same, he said.

To claim that AP had influenced the KWMB to issue the draft notification was also ridiculous as the constitution or jurisdiction of the Board was not decided by AP Chief Minister or its officials. It was a document prepared by the Centre. It was a part of the AP Reorganisation Act's Section 87.

To claim now that the existing Board was not to implement what was expected of it till Brijesh Kumar Tribunal decided on the fresh award or the Supreme Court delivered its verdict on the pending appeals before it was absurd, the Minister added.

AP would fight for the farmers of the both the States and not just its own as it loved the Telugus on both sides of the border and did not want anyone to suffer unlike Telangana. It was strange that Telangana was cozying up to Maharashtra and Karnataka, both of which systematically and diabolically harmed the interests of the then Andhra Pradesh.

On the claim that Telangana had released 17 tmc ft of Krishna water from Sagar just to protect the third crop in AP was also wrong as AP's people suffered severe drinking water shortage last year. Even the 17 tmc ft was released in a painfully slow process and only after utilising the same for power generation.

The Irrigation Minister said if only the Apex council were to meet to decide on the total allocation there would be no problem for any State and Telugus of both the States would stand to benefit. AP never would seek even one drop of Telangana water and wanted the latter to completely utilise its share. But, it should not lead to any curtailment of AP's share, he reiterated.

Arguing that Pattiseema was an integral part of Polavaram project and not a new or separate one, he said the noise that Telangana was making in this regard too was wrong. Circulating copies of draft notification of the KRMG, Devineni Uma said it contained all projects and had not excluded AP projects as being claimed by Telangana.