Latest news with #APReorganisationAct
Hans India
26-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
TG, AP babus to ‘thrash out' pending issues
Hyderabad: The second meeting of the Chief Secretary-led official committees of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh will be held soon to resolve long-pending division of assets and bifurcation of institutions under the AP Reorganization Act, 2014. Following the Cabinet decision to expedite the process to mutually resolve the critical issues, Telangana Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao began the process of convening the meeting within a month. The first such high-profile meeting was held at Amaravati in December. However, they failed to arrive at a consensus on the division of assets and institutions. Officials said that the Chief Secretary, who has been playing a key role all along, is seemingly focusing on resolving pending issues between the two states. 'The government is planning to hold the second meeting in Hyderabad. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and ministers reviewed the status of pending issues in the recently held Cabinet meeting and assigned the Chief Secretary the responsibility of speeding up a meeting with his AP counterpart', officials said. The two states have locked horns over the assets belonging to 23 corporations, including state finance corporation, and power generation and transmission corporations. Apart from the division of assets under Schedules 9 and 10 of the AP Reorganisation Act, pending electricity dues between the two states, inter-state employee transfers, and distribution of professional tax revenues remain unresolved for over a decade now. Sources pointed out that the issue related to Rs 8,000 crore left unallocated in the bank accounts of institutions under Schedules 9 and 10, is yet to be resolved. The ongoing disputes between the two states over power dues would figure prominently during the second meeting of the officials. Andhra Pradesh has been claiming that Rs 3,441 crore is still due for power it supplied to Telangana, while Telangana maintains that Andhra Pradesh owes Rs 17,828 crore to it. Andhra Pradesh will still have to pay Rs 12,940 crore even after adjusting dues to be paid by Telangana to it, Telangana officials contend.
The Hindu
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
State govt. not serious about Banakacherla issue: BRS
HYDERABAD The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has alleged that the Congress government in the State is not serious about the Andhra Pradesh's Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project aimed at diverting 200 tmc ft of Godavarai water initially to the non-basin areas at the cost of riparian rights of Telangana. Speaking to newspersons here on Tuesday, BRS leaders G. Jagadish Reddy, Dr. M. Anand, R. Ravindra Kumar, N. Bhaskar Rao, O. Narsimha Reddy and others said lack of seriousness on the issue was evident in the lacklustre discussion on it in the Cabinet meeting held on Monday. After injustice to Telangana in the matter of Krishna waters, the A.P. government was conspiring to do the same in the matter of Godavari waters. The A.P.'s plans were mostly fuelled by the fact that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre was surviving on the Telugu Desam Party's (TDP) support and its Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was trying to parch the lands of Telangana with the illegal diversion of water. Instead of demanding for an immediate meeting of the Apex Council, the Telangana government had reportedly decided to invite Mr. Naidu for talks, the BRS leaders said. They stated that A.P. was trying to dub the ongoing row over Godavari waters issue as the tussle between political parties. Mr. Naidu was trying to deceive people by terming the Polavaram-Banakacherla project as part of the Godavari-Cauvery link, the BRS leaders said and noted that Chhattisgarh had already opposed the Godavari-Cauvery link. They suggested that there was a need for unity among all political parties in the State on the Banakacherla project issue to oppose the A.P.'s project being taken up in violation of the riparian rights, AP Reorganisation Act and others.
The Print
21-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Naidu's Rs 82,000-cr Banakacherla project to link 3 river basins faces opposition from protégé Revanth
The Telangana CM has also requested Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Paatil to reject the pre-feasibility report submitted to the Central Water Commission by the Naidu administration to stop the project. Paatil may soon call meetings of the apex council, headed by him and including the chief ministers of the two states. The Telugu sibling states are now feuding over Godavari flood water. The Chandrababu Naidu government has proposed an ambitious Godavari-Banakacherla link project, but Revanth Reddy has said it is 'against natural justice, interests, and water rights of people of Telangana'. Hyderabad: Five years ago, it was Pothireddypadu, and now, Banakacherla. Despite friendly political and personal relations between then-chief ministers Jagan Mohan Reddy and K. Chandrasekhar Rao, and later their respective successors Chandrababu Naidu and Revanth Reddy, river water sharing continues to be the bone of contention between the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments, 11 years post the bifurcation. Five years ago, then-minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat convened apex council meetings to resolve the issue of the Pothireddypadu capacity expansion by the Jagan government. The Jagan administration, in a May 2020 order, allocated Rs 6,829 crore for the Rayalaseema Lift Scheme and the supporting canal system. The expansion project aimed to draw three TMC (thousand million cubic feet) per day from the Pothireddypadu Head Regulator on the Srisailam reservoir. The then-KCR government had objected to the move, leading to the apex council meetings. According to the 2014 AP Reorganisation Act, Telangana side says, any new project must first be discussed and approved by the Godavari River Management Board and the Central Water Commission. Also Read: My phones were tapped: AP Congress chief Y.S. Sharmila accuses brother Jagan of colluding with BRS What is the Banakacherla link Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu envisaged the ambitious project linking the Godavari-Krishna-Penna basins during his previous term. Resuming power after five years, Chandrababu Naidu, the leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the principal National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally, reinitiated the project's planning last year and wrote to the Union finance ministry for financial support. The Andhra government, which now plans to partly use the nearly 3,000 TMC of Godavari flood water running into the Bay of Bengal on average every year, proposed the river link from the Polavaram dam in north central Andhra to Banakacherla in the parched Rayalaseema region. The project is important politically too for Naidu, as it could enhance the TDP's image in Rayalaseema, especially Kurnool and Kadapa regions which are a stronghold of YSRCP despite the losses it suffered there in 2024 elections. The project, which includes building a 416 km network of open canals, pipelines and lifts to draw 200 TMC of flood water at two TMC per day during the Godavari flood season, is estimated to cost at least Rs 82,000 crore. A detailed project report (DPR) is in the works for submission to the Centre for approval. According to Andhra, the Godavari is flooded at Polavaram and downstream for 100 days minimum, every year, based on the figures of the last 50 years. The project is envisaged in three segments. First, to draw the Godavari flood water to the Prakasam Barrage on River Krishna at Vijayawada. The second stage involves pumping the water up with six lifts to the proposed Bollapalli reservoir in the Palnadu district. Senior Andhra Pradesh irrigation department officials told ThePrint that Bollapalli, located amid hills, serves as a natural reservoir for 173 TMC gross water storage when the necessary structures are built there. The final segment involves transferring the water from Bollapalli to Banakacherla, with three lift stations pumping up the water into two tunnels passing through the thick forested Nallamala Tiger Reserve. A concept note that ThePrint has accessed shows power consumption figures for lifting the water against gravity in the last two segments are 2,379 MW and 1,413 MW respectively. Existing already at Banakacherla is a three-way cross regulator complex, feeding the backwater of Krishna river drawn through the Pothireddypadu head regulator at the Srisailam reservoir into the Telugu Ganga canal (supplying drinking water to Chennai), the Srisailam Right Bank Canal, and the Kurnool-Cuddapah Canal. 'The 200 TMC Godavari flood water, would not only stabilise these systems already in place but also will allow us to bring 7.5 lakh acre under irrigation in the drought-prone Rayalaseema region, while also ensuring drinking water to lakhs of people,' said one Andhra Pradesh water resource department official. What are Telangana's objections Congress's Revanth Reddy is facing political heat over the Banakacherla project, with the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) led by former irrigation minister Harish Rao targeting the CM as 'a silent spectator to Andhra water loot'. Harish Rao has expressed apprehensions over the possible project expansion claiming that Andhra plans to 'double the Banakacherla link capacity to 400 TMC' in the future. While accusing Naidu of opposing Telangana projects such as Kaleshwaram, Bhakta Ramadasu, and Palamuru-RangaReddy, Harish Rao alleged that Revanth Reddy was compromising the state's interests to protect his friendship with Naidu and as Guru Dakshina to Naidu. Before joining the Congress, Revanth Reddy was a TDP MLA. Under fire, the Revanth Reddy-led government convened a meeting of MPs from all parties Wednesday in Hyderabad to gather their support. The next day, CM rushed to New Delhi to fight against the Andhra Pradesh government project. Telangana has contended that Andhra Pradesh is unilaterally taking up the project, contravening the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal-1980 (GWDT) and the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. On Thursday, Revanth , accompanied by irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, submitted to C.R. Paatil that 'there is no mention of flood water or surplus water as per the GWDT'. 'Yet, Andhra Pradesh violated all these requirements to proceed with efforts to construct the project,' he complained to Paatil, according to a statement from the Telangana CMO. While expressing his willingness to discuss and resolve issues amicably with Andhra Pradesh, Revanth has said that if his government did not find the Centre's response favourable, it would approach the Supreme Court. Earlier this year, in January, Uttam Kumar Reddy wrote to Paatil, expressing concerns over Naidu's letters to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, seeking financial assistance for the Godavari-Banakacherla Link scheme, with the same letters then forwarded 'to Secretary, Jal Shakti, for necessary action. The Jal Shakti ministry, in turn, 'forwarded the letters to GRMB (Godavari River Management Board), the KRMB (Krishna River Management Board), and PPA (Polavaram Project Authority) seeking their inputs', Uttam said. Last week, Uttam in another letter to Paatil, expressed the concern that the pre feasibility report of Andhra 'is deemed to have been approved.' Speaking to reporters in Delhi Thursday, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Jal Shakti minister responded positively to their concerns and assured them that he would convene an apex council meeting soon. What are Andhra Pradesh's responses Andhra Pradesh Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu has stated that all necessary approvals, including from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India (MoEFCC), will be taken for the Banakacherla link. Andhra Pradesh is arguing that since it is the tail-end state among the Godavari flow states, 'it bears the maximum brunt of the mighty river's floods every year and bearing vast losses, it is only natural justice to use such flood waters for good use'. 'We only want to use the waters that otherwise drain into the sea, turning saline, of no worth to anyone. What is wrong in taking Godavari flood water to the Rayalaseema, one of the least rainfed areas in the country,' Nimmala has said. The minister shared the example of the 2015 drought, when 'Godavari waters brought to Prakasam Barrage had to be transported in rail tankers for drinking water use in Anantapuramu (in Rayalaseema)'. The TDP minister apparently retorted to the accusations by the BRS against Andhra Pradesh and Naidu, saying that KCR had initiated irrigation projects Kaleshwaram, Sitarama Sagar, and Palamuru-Rangareddy, among others, without any approvals from the Centre. On Thursday, as matters precipitated, with the BRS continuing its tirade and the Telangana CM taking the issue to Delhi, CM Chandrababu Naidu responded: 'Why quarrel over water that flows into the sea if unused?' 'If legal clarity is required, we can discuss it with the Centre. Creating conflict over such usage is unreasonable. No one benefits from water disputes between us two states—it only misleads the public,' he said in a press conference at Naidu has said that the two states can avoid conflicts. Instead, he suggested amicably building projects according to their requirements and capacities and rationally using the precious water. Meanwhile, Revanth Reddy, speaking to reporters after the Wednesday all-party meeting at the Telangana Secretariat, blamed his predecessor 'for paving the way for Banakacherla way back in 2016'. The Telangana CM has disclosed the minutes of the apex council meeting held in New Delhi in September 2016. KCR, Harish Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and then-irrigation minister of Andhra Devineni Umamaheshwara Rao attended the meeting, chaired by the then-minister of Jal Shakti Uma Bharti. 'The council meet, with KCR's participation, clearly stated the need for 1,000 TMC water to complete the ongoing and proposed projects on Krishna River, while noting that 3,000 TMC Godavari water was going unused, on the other hand,' pointed out the chief minister, in response to Harish Rao's attacks on him. A senior official in Telangana said the opposition to Banakacherla is 'mostly political' but not unfounded. 'Yes, the project proposes to use flood waters, but what is the guarantee that Andhra will not draw regular water in the non-flood years?' (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read: 'Freeze seats or increase proportionately': Andhra CM Naidu limits Modi govt's delimitation options
Hans India
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Implement promises made in Reorganistion Act
Visakhapatnam: Prime Minister Narendra Modi should fulfill promises made in the AP Reorganisation Act 2014, demanded Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee chief YS Sharmila. At a media conference organised here on Friday, she stressed that it has been over a decade since Narendra Modi government assured to implement provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act, but they were yet to be implemented. Emphasising that the people of Andhra Pradesh feel neglected, Sharmila wondered how the Prime Minister could visit AP without any trace of reluctance. Despite cases filed against him, Sharmila criticised that it was very apparent that YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was walking scot-free. 'It is because Jagan is Modi's adopted son. The PM not only supports Jagan in Vivekananda Reddy's murder case but also in every other aspect,' the APCC chief alleged. Reiterating that it has been a decade since the Prime Minister assured to implement the promises made in the AP Reorganisation Act, Sharmila questioned, 'What happened to the Special Category Status (SCS) announced for AP in Tirupati.' Modi cheated on AP people without according the status to the State. Both Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan have been extending support to Modi despite the betrayal the AP people faced. 'The Prime Minister cheated on the Polavaram project too. He had killed the project by reducing the height of it. By cutting down the height of the project, it cannot be termed as Polavaram project but a barrage,' she expressed anger. Even in the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant issue, the APCC chief stated that Modi cheated on it as well. Maintaining that the Centre is not focusing on privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant at the moment, the Modi government is weakening the plant by removing 4,000 workers from it, she said. 'What's the need of building a capital city mobilising loans. Also, there is no special package for North Andhra as promised earlier. With so many issues to look into, is it really required to celebrate Yogandhra now,' Sharmila asked. Terming Jagan's recent press meet statements as indecent, Sharmila expressed disgust over Jagan's provocative statements like 'Narukutam', 'Samputam' and 'Battalu Udadeestam.'
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Prof. Kodandaram of TJS urges Centre to stop Polavaram-Banakacherla link
HYDERABAD Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) president and MLC Prof. M. Kodandaram has demanded that the Centre stop the Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Canal project taken up by Andhra Pradesh in violation of the AP Reorganisation Act and without the appraisal and approval of the river boards, Apex Council and other statutory agencies. Speaking to newspersons here on Friday, he suggested that the Centre could go ahead with processing the appraisal of the Polavaram-Banakacherla project only after making allocation of water to the ongoing and contemplated projects of Telangana including the future needs in the Godavari Basin or else it would amount to violation of the riparian rights of Telangana. Prof. Kodandaram said neither Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president K. Chandrasekhar Rao nor his party leaders had any moral right to speak on the Polavaram-Banakacherla project. He also wondered by the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders from the State were keeping silent on the project that was bound to harm the interests of Telangana permanently. Against the allocation of 518 tmcft water to it, AP was already utilising over 630 tmcft, while Telangana was not utilising even half of the 968 tmcft allocated to it in the Godavari Basin. With the Polavaram-Banakacherla project, AP was conspiring to take away over 300 tmcft of water more to the non-basin areas at the cost of basin areas in Telangana. Meanwhile, BRS senior leader T. Harish Rao has criticised Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for his comments on the Polavaram-Banakacherla project in Delhi on Friday. He accused the Chief Minister of coming to a tacit understanding with his AP's counterpart and political guru N. Chandrababu Naidu to allow AP to have its way in illegally diverting the Krishna and Godavari waters to the non-basin areas. He pointed out that KCR had been demanding at least 1,950 tmcft water share in the Godavari surplus waters of over 3,000 tmcft in addition to the 968 tmcft of assured water allocated to Telangana by the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal. Against the BRS demand of 2,918 tmcft, Mr. Revanth Reddy was conspiring to limit Telangana's share to just about 1,000 tmc ft, he alleged. Similarly, Mr. Revanth Reddy was talking about only 500 tmcft share in Krishna waters against 763 tmcft being demanded by KCR all along. Mr. Harish Rao sought to know the rationale behind Mr. Reddy's silence on not demanding the Apex Council meeting on the Polavaram-Banakacherla issue.
