Former Minister Harish Rao Levels Serious Allegations Against Telangana Government
In a significant development from Hyderabad, former minister T Harish Rao has made serious allegations against the Congress-led Telangana government. On Friday, Rao claimed that the state administration is actively assisting the neighboring Andhra Pradesh government by facilitating the controversial Polavaram-Nallamala link canal project.
Conspiracy to Divert Telangana's Water Resources
Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, the BRS leader described the situation as "a conspiracy to take Telangana's water to Andhra Pradesh" and went so far as to term it "a death warrant for Telangana." His allegations center around the Telangana government's participation in an inter-state meeting convened by the Central Water Commission (CWC), which he claims was specifically organized to help clear the Andhra Pradesh project.
Questionable Government Actions and Contradictions
Harish Rao highlighted what he called a clear pattern of contradictory behavior from the Telangana government. "First, it shows reluctance to attend the meeting, and later it attends it," he stated. According to his account, while the government claimed the meeting wasn't specifically about Banakacherla, this was actually the only agenda item discussed during the inter-state gathering.
The former minister also pointed out the government's shifting stance, noting that "the government says it won't sign and will sign soon," creating confusion about their actual position on the matter.
Specific Allegations About Friday's Meeting
Rao revealed that Friday's meeting had a specific purpose: to discuss the illegal diversion of 200 TMCFT (thousand million cubic feet) of water to Andhra Pradesh. Despite this controversial agenda, the Telangana government sent engineers to participate in the discussions.
He raised questions about the government's earlier stated conditions for attending meetings in Delhi, asking pointedly: "Did the Centre give this assurance? Did Andhra Pradesh give this assurance? Why did the state government send officers to attend the meeting without any assurance?"
Targeting Government Officials and Questioning Credibility
In his press conference, Harish Rao specifically questioned deputy Telangana irrigation advisor Aditya Nath Das, who previously worked in Andhra Pradesh. He implied that Das's background might influence his current role in Telangana's water management decisions.
Rao also criticized Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy's participation in the Jal Shakti ministers apex council meeting, claiming that "nothing was achieved" from that engagement.
Contrasting BRS and Current Government Performance
The former minister drew a sharp contrast between the achievements of the previous BRS government and the current administration's performance. He highlighted that during K Chandrasekhar Rao's tenure as chief minister, the government secured Central approvals for 400 TMC of Godavari water and submitted 10 Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), with approvals obtained for seven major projects.
In a damning comparison, Harish Rao stated: "In the last two years, not a single DPR was sent, not a single approval was secured, and not even partial approvals received earlier were withdrawn instead of being completed."
Historical Context and Previous Warnings
Rao reminded journalists that when the BRS raised concerns about the Banakacherla and Nallamala Sagar project several months ago, the state government responded by issuing backdated letters to the media in what he characterized as an attempt to "wash its hands of" the controversy.
The allegations come amid ongoing tensions between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh over water sharing arrangements, with the Polavaram project remaining a particularly contentious issue between the two states since their bifurcation.
