In a fiery address in the Telangana legislative assembly, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy issued a stern warning to the central government, asserting that the state will unilaterally proceed with the ambitious Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) if necessary permissions are withheld. The CM's emotional speech, which lasted over two hours, centered on the contentious issue of Krishna river water allocation and the future of the critical irrigation project.
A Defiant Stand on Water Rights
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy stated that if the Centre does not grant permission to utilize 45 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) of Krishna water in the first phase and another 45 tmc ft in the second phase for the PRLIS, Telangana will take matters into its own hands. The state plans to draw two tmc ft of water daily from the Jurala project located in Mahabubnagar district. He emphatically declared that since Jurala is entirely within Telangana and not an inter-state project, no external authority can prevent the state from using its water.
"No one can stop Telangana from drawing water from Jurala," Reddy asserted, directly challenging Andhra Pradesh's leadership and even the Prime Minister. "I will see who will stop Telangana on this, including AP CM N Chandrababu Naidu, YS Jaganmohan Reddy or Prime Minister Narendra Modi." He attributed the current hurdles faced by PRLIS to its later association with the Srisailam project, which is a common, inter-state facility.
Scathing Attack on BRS and K Chandrasekhar Rao
The Chief Minister used the assembly platform to launch a blistering critique against the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government and its chief, K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR). He accused KCR of avoiding the assembly debate on the Krishna water issue and attempting to spread misinformation through public meetings instead. Reddy countered KCR's alleged threat of 'tolu teestha' (skin us) with a sharp retort, stating, "we will chop his tongue if he does not stop questioning our (Congress govt) commitment towards farmers and state interests."
Revanth Reddy dug into history, reminding the house that the Palamuru project was originally proposed by the Congress party in 2009 when YS Rajasekhara Reddy was the Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh. He questioned KCR's moral authority to criticize the current government, pointing out that KCR, as the MP of Mahabubnagar between 2009 and 2014, did not advocate for the project during that period.
Allegations of Mismanagement and a "Death Warrant"
The CM presented a series of allegations against the previous BRS administration's handling of the PRLIS and Krishna water negotiations. He claimed that the original plan was to draw about 70 tmc ft from the Jurala project, but the BRS government inexplicably shifted the source to Srisailam, a move he questioned as being for the benefit of "contractors and commissioners." He alleged the BRS approached the Supreme Court to vacate a National Green Tribunal (NGT) stay only to facilitate clearing payments worth Rs 20,000 crore.
In one of his most serious charges, Revanth Reddy alleged that KCR signed a "death warrant" for Telangana during two Apex Council meetings convened by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti in 2016 and 2020. He claimed that in these meetings, the BRS government accepted an allocation of only 299 tmc ft of Krishna water for Telangana against 512 tmc ft for Andhra Pradesh, out of a total of 811 tmc ft. The CM contrasted this with the state's current efforts to secure what it believes is its rightful share—approximately 71% of Krishna water, amounting to nearly 1,050 tmc ft, including enhanced water.
Revanth Reddy concluded his address on a personal note, becoming emotional as he stated that god had given him the opportunity to serve the people of Telangana at a young age. His government has formally written to the Centre seeking temporary permission for 45 tmc ft to partially complete the PRLIS until a final award is made, a letter he accused the BRS of misrepresenting to the public.
