Congress Slams KCR Over Maharashtra Water Agreement

Slamming Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for signing a pact with the Maharashtra government for the sharing of Godavari river waters, Leader of Opposition in the Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Tuesday termed it as a "maha daga" (great cheating), and a Black Day in the history of Telangana.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan on Tuesday, Shabbir Ali said that by entering this agreement with the neighbouring state, KCR had done great injustice to the people of Telangana.

He said, "Ever since KCR returned from Mumbai after signing an agreement on water sharing, the State government, the TRS and many others are celebrating on every forum as if a great act has happened. The fact is that KCR has done great injustice to the people. There is nothing to celebrate."

"It is injustice because the heights of the barrages that will be constructed on the Godavari have been decreased to 148 meters from the earlier proposal of 152 meters, Shabbir Ali said.

The barrages are coming up at Medigadda, Tummidi-Haiti on Pranahita, Chanakha-Korata on Penganga, Pinpahad and Rajapeta.

Showing the copies of a similar agreement signed on May 5, 2012, Shabbir Ali said that the then Chief Ministers Kiran Kumar Reddy and his Maharashtra counterpart Prithvi Raj Chauhan had signed an agreement in the presence of then union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal for the construction of a barrage at Tummidi-Haiti at a height of 152 metres.

He sought to know then why the current Chief Minister was trying to manipulate the facts and showing an already done agreement as his achievement, and celebrating as if he had done something great for the people of Telangana.

He also said that KCR had not consulted the Opposition before going to Mumbai for the agreement.

He added that the cost of the project had been increased from Rs. 38,000 crores to Rs. 86,000 crores, while the ayacut remained at 16 lakh acres. That would mean Rs. 50,000 crores of public money was being swindled by manipulating the facts, making it one of the biggest irrigation scams in the country.

Former irrigation minister P Sudarshan Reddy also found fault with the approach of the State government, and said that the Congress would expose the cheating after getting the agreement copies.

TPCC chief spokesperson D Shravan Kumar also lashed out at the Chief Minister, and accused him of the selling old wine in a new bottle for cheap political gains.