Bhatti: Not A Drop Of Telangana Water Will Be Given Up
He alleged that conspiracies similar to those hatched by past "Andhra colonial rulers" to exploit Telangana’s resources are once again being played out. He urged people to stay vigilant and counter such efforts effectively
Nalgonda: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka asserted that not a single drop of irrigation water rightfully belonging to Telangana will be given up, emphasising that the interests of the state take precedence over politics.
Laying the foundation stone for the construction of a 10,000 metric ton capacity warehouse by the Telangana State Warehousing Corporation at a cost of ₹10 crore in Kamalapuram, Mudigonda mandal, Khammam district, he said the previous BRS government was responsible for the Banakacharla reservoir project, which was taken up by the Andhra Pradesh government in Guntur district at the cost of Telangana’s interests.
He expressed confidence that the Congress government in Telangana would effectively counter such conspiracies by the neighbouring state.
Bhatti pointed out that Telangana suffered grave injustice in irrigation during the united Andhra Pradesh, and criticised the previous BRS government for failing to develop the irrigation sector during its decade-long rule. He said irrigation needs are still being met by projects built during the erstwhile Congress governments on the Krishna and Godavari rivers.
“During the BRS regime, not even a single useful irrigation project was constructed. Despite spending ₹1 lakh crore on the Kaleshwaram project, not a single acre has benefited. BRS leaders should stop criticising the Congress government for political gain,” he said.
He alleged that conspiracies similar to those hatched by past "Andhra colonial rulers" to exploit Telangana’s resources are once again being played out. He urged people to stay vigilant and counter such efforts effectively.
Bhatti strongly criticised the AP government for starting illegal projects that threaten to dry up agricultural lands in Telangana. He credited Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy for presenting arguments in Delhi that led to the halting of the Banakacharla project.
Speaking on agricultural infrastructure, he noted, “Previously, farmers had access to warehouse facilities with a total capacity of 5.91 lakh metric tons. Within just a year and a half of coming to power, our government has added 10.75 lakh metric tons of additional capacity. We are sincerely committed to farmers’ welfare and agricultural development, which is why Telangana now leads the country in paddy production.”
He also accused BRS leaders of remaining passive during critical moments that affected Telangana’s interests. “They remained silent when the Polavaram project was being built and are now showing the same indifference towards the Banakacharla reservoir. The BRS also failed to prevent the merger of seven mandals from the erstwhile Khammam district into Andhra Pradesh through an ordinance not mentioned in the AP Reorganisation Act,” he said.
Calling the BRS a “curse to Telangana,” Bhatti said the Congress government is correcting the mistakes of the past 10 years, one by one. “We are implementing a concrete action plan to fully utilize the Krishna and Godavari waters and ensure irrigation for every acre in the state. Alongside improving the financial health of Telangana, the government is efficiently implementing welfare schemes and development projects,” he concluded.