Congress slams KCR over pact with Maharashtra

Slamming Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao for signing a pact with the Maharashtra Government over water sharing of Godavari River water, Leader of Opposition in Telangana State Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Tuesday termed it as "Maha Daga" (Mega Cheating) and a Black Day in the history of Telangana.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan here, Shabbir Ali said that by materializing this agreement with the neighboring state, KCR has done a great injustice to the people of Telangana. He said, “When KCR returned from Mumbai after signing an agreement on water sharing, State government, TRS party and others are celebrating on every forum as if a great deal has happened. Whereas, the fact is, KCR has done a great injustice to the people. There is nothing to celebrate.”

It is injustice because the height of the barrages that would be constructed on Godavari was decreased to 148 meters from the earlier proposal of 152 meters. The barrages are coming up at Medigadda, Tummidi-Haiti on Pranahita, Chanakha-Korata on Penganga, Pinpahad and Rajapeta.

Showing the copies of the 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 signed an agreement in the presence of then union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal for the construction of barrage at Tummidi-Haiti at 152 Metres height. He sought to know how come the Chief Minister try to manipulate the facts in such a way that he was showing the already done agreement as his achievement and celebrating as if he has done something great for the people of state.

Further, he said that the cost of project has been increased from Rs. 38,000 crore to Rs. 86,000 crore while the ayacut remained at 16 lakh acres. He said it was the biggest irrigation scam in the country wherein Rs. 50,000 crore of public money was being swindled by manipulating the facts. He said that KCR has not consulted the opposition parties before going to Mumbai for the agreement.

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

TPCC Chief Spokesperson D. Shravan Kumar on this occasion lashed out at the Chief Minister and accused him of the selling the old wine in new bottle for cheap political gains.