Telangana State demands relook into Krishna water allocation

New Delhi: Telangana State government here on Thursday contested the claims of Karnataka and Maharashtra on Section 89 of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 in the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal to assert that its demand for a relook into the allocation of Krishna waters was legitimate.

Continuing the arguments on behalf of the Telangana State government, senior counsel, Vaidyanathan, said Section 89 was not meant for just the two Telugu States. It was legally tenable and legitimate that it should be applied to four States.

Countering the argument on why Telangana State had not made a similar demand in the past, he said the question did not arise in the United Andhra Pradesh. Telangana State would face injustice if the old arrangement remained in place. It sought a relook into the same.

Karnataka continued its argument that Section 89 had no jurisdiction over the other States as it was a provision of the Reorganisation Act pertaining to Andhra Pradesh and involving the present Telangana State. He said Telangana State should take its argument to another Tribunal but not to the present one if it sought a reallocation now.

The Tribunal felt that Telangana State faced injustice and hence demanding its rightful share of water. Telangana State sought more time to complete its arguments to prove its point that the State’s demand was justifiable. The Tribunal agreed to hold sittings again on September 7 and 8.