AP to take grievances on Godavari, Krishna Boards to Delhi for redressal
Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government intends to take up certain grievances vis-à-vis the declaration of gazette notification on Godavari and Krishna River Management Boards with the Centre for their quick redressal.
The first joint meeting of the coordination committees of GRMB and KRMB was held in Hyderabad on Tuesday to collect information from both AP and TS for fixing the jurisdiction of the boards on the irrigation projects located in both the states and also on grant of funds to run the boards.
AP engineer-in-chief Narayana Reddy said, “We have informed the boards that we have certain grievances on some irrigation projects incorporated in the gazette notification of GRMB and KRMB. We want to bring them to the notice of the Union Jal Shakthi ministry for redressal after holding talks with our government here.”
Our grievances are fact-based and reasonable. They will not be having any adverse effect on the other side (TS) and we are hopeful of getting them resolved. We have also informed the boards that once these are resolved, issues of organisational set up, funds and the permissible powers that can be exercised by both GRMB and KRMB can be decided.”
“When we are asked to give the time-frame for implementation of these matters, we have informed them that we shall first consult our government (AP) and later share all information including on the jurisdiction of the projects and about the detailed project reports (DPR) of the new irrigation projects. Now, we will brief our government and based on the directions we get, we will proceed further.”
Officials including member secretaries from both GRMB and KRMB, representatives of the Union ministry of Jal Shakthi, as also of AP water resources and managing directors of AP Transco and AP Genco were present. Officials from TS did not attend the meeting.
KRMB officials are likely to visit lift irrigation schemes in Rayalaseema region including the one coming up at Pothireddypadu, on August 5.
The Union ministry of Jal Shakthi notified both GRMB and KRMB via a gazette notification on July 16, fixing the task to administer, regulate, maintain and operate the irrigation projects located in Godavari and Krishna river basins located in both AP and TS from October 14.
Each state is to provide a one-time seed money of `200 crore within 60 days from issue of notification to enable the boards discharge their functions.
