Amaravati is a dead investment: Chandrashekar Rao

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao considers spending on Amaravati, the capital of sibling state Andhra Pradesh is nothing but a “dead investment”. The chief minister said this on Sunday during debate on a Bill meant for power supply to mega lift irrigation projects in the state.

The statement has already kicked off a political row in Andhra Pradesh, where the government already has applied breaks to the construction work of the state capital amidst speculation of shifting of the capital to some other place.

“One of the so-called Andhra intellectual Mr. Jayaparakash Narayan said that lift irrigation projects in Telangana would entail heavy power consumption and huge costs. Who is he to comment on Telangana? It is like the Urdu saying Auron ki shaadi mein Abdulla Begana," KCR said.

He pointed out that why not the same intellectual says something about the wastage on Amaravati project.

“It is a dead investment. I have told Nara Chandrababu Naidu to invest in projects in Rayalaseema rather than spending on Amaravati. He didn’t listen. Look what happened. Naidu fell flat as the people did not approve his investment plan,” KCR said.

He further said that Telangana was keen on linking the Godavari with Nagarjuna Sagar through Dummugudem Tail pond. Water will reach Sagar and then Srisailam he said.

KCR and Jaganmohan Reddy already agreed to take Godavari water to Krishna to augment dwindling Krishna waters.

Jagan following KCR’s plan: TDP

Meanwhile, the Telugu Desam Party has alleged that Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy is following the script written by KCR on the twin issues of Polavaram and Amaravati.

“We heard that Jagan has assured that he will reduce the height of Polavaram benefitting Telangana and also stop construction of Amaravati,” Kollu Ravindra former TDP minister said.

The TDP has been alleging that Jagan has been taking steps that would help Telangana and not Andhra Pradesh. “Jagan is repaying KCR for his election funding by scuttling development of AP,” he said.

Jagan gave stop orders in Amaravati after coming to power to please KCR. And stat ministers have tried to portray Amaravati as a flood-prone area and unfit to be a stat capital, he added.