Live
- Over 7,600 Syrians return from Turkiye in five days after Assad's downfall: minister
- Delhi BJP leaders stay overnight in 1,194 slum clusters
- Keerthy Suresh and Anthony Thattil Tie the Knot in a Christian Ceremony
- AAP, BJP making false promises to slum dwellers for votes: Delhi Congress
- 'Vere Level Office' Review: A Refreshing Take on Corporate Life with Humor and Heart
- Libya's oil company declares force majeure at key refinery following clashes
- Illegal Rohingyas: BJP seeks Assembly session to implement NRC in Delhi
- Philippines orders full evacuation amid possible volcanic re-eruption
- Government Prioritizes Welfare of the Poor, says Dola Sri Bala Veeranjaneyaswamy
- Two Russian oil tankers with 29 on board damaged due to bad weather
KRMB boss Gupta shunted out?
Responding to the repeated requests from the Telangana government, the Union government finally responded positively to its demand for the removal of Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) member secretary RK Gupta from the post.
Hyderabad: Responding to the repeated requests from the Telangana government, the Union government finally responded positively to its demand for the removal of Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) member secretary RK Gupta from the post.
Sources said that the Union Ministry of Water Resources asked Gupta to leave the board immediately on Tuesday, based on a complaint lodged against the official for taking ‘unilateral decisions’ regarding Krishna water sharing between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana state.
Gupta, who was also member secretary of the Polavaram Project Authority, has been in the eye of storm for issuing draft notification for the maintenance of projects without consulting the Telangana government.
Telangana State Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had shot off a letter to the Union Minister for Water Resources Uma Bharti against KRMB’s ‘indifferent attitude’ towards Telangana.
He pointed out in the letter that “KRMB forwarded the draft notification without adequate consultation with the partner states. The draft notification circulated to the members in the meeting held on May 27 was not in accordance with the provisions of AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.”
The government also argued that in terms of Section 85 (8) and 87 (1) of the AP Reorganisation Act, KRMB has to function in terms of the award that is already in force. The Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal one (KWDT) which was in force had not made any allocations to any projects in both the states.
Hence, there is no jurisdiction to issue the draft notification at this juncture, the Chief Minister had stated in his letter. Under pressure from the Telangana government, the Union ministry recently held deliberations involving irrigation ministers from the two states. But, the talks held in New Delhi failed to break the deadlock.
Sources said that the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) Director Sameer Chatterjee has been asked to assume charge as ‘in-charge member secretary’ of KRMB until further orders.
By Patan Afzal Babu
