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Water row: Telangana says it will give strong reply to Andhra Pradesh

Last Updated 30 September 2020, 17:57 IST

The Telangana government on Wednesday said it has decided to give a befitting reply to the arguments of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh at the apex council meeting on inter-state water issues convened by the Centre on October 6.

The Telangana government, in a statement, said it would also expose the delay of seven years allegedly caused by the Centre on water issues. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao convened a meeting on Thursday with officials of the Water Resources Department to discuss the strategy to be adopted at the apex council meet.

Rao asked the officials to come to the meeting with all data and information on the issues to be placed before the Central government, the statement said. "The state of Andhra Pradesh is intentionally creating disputes on the river water-sharing. We have to give a befitting reply to that state's arguments at the apex council meeting.

Give an absolute clarity on issues so that the Andhra Pradesh government will not raise the issues again in future," it quoted Rao as saying. "Take the opportunity to expose the seven-year delay caused by the Centre and its inactive role in the matter. Oppose and reject the attempts made to undermine the rights of Telangana people.

Utilise the apex council meeting to tell the whole country about the facts, he said. Observing that a new state should be allocated its share of water after its formation, Rao said the Telangana government had written to the Prime Minister on June 14, 2014, requesting that water be allocated to it either by constituting a special tribunal or through the existing tribunal.

The state government had also wanted the allocation to be done between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh or among the river basin states. However, there has been no response to the letter written to the Prime Minister even after seven years, he said.

"The Centre kept mum on the issue. Moreover, they are giving a picture that they were doing something by convening apex council meetings. But in reality, the Centre is not doing anything. In the October 6 meeting, take the Centre to task. Be firm in demanding that there should be absolute clarity on the allocation of water to the state of Telangana," Rao said.

Differences have cropped up between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in recent months over the construction of projects in both the states. The apex council, constituted as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, comprises the Chief Ministers of the two states as members and is headed by the Union Water Resources Minister.

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(Published 30 September 2020, 17:57 IST)

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