Telangana CM Revanth Reddy urges Chandrababu Naidu to remove barriers on Krishna river projects
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy urged Andhra Pradesh not to object to Krishna river irrigation projects, stressing that disputes should be resolved through dialogue, not courts. He said the Congress government seeks permanent, cooperative solutions to the water issues.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has urged his Andhra Pradesh counterpart not to raise objections to the irrigation projects on the Krishna River in Telangana. He stated that the state government does not want any disputes with neighbouring states and instead wants to resolve the inter-state water issues through dialogue.
Reddy said Telangana prefers to settle disputes with neighbouring states amicably rather than through courts or other forums. Without naming the Andhra Pradesh CM, Reddy appealed to Naidu not to object to irrigation projects on the Krishna river, noting that projects such as Palamuru Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation, Dindi and SLBC were approved when Andhra Pradesh was undivided.
"Don't raise objections to these projects. Cooperate with us in getting approvals for these projects. Because of the objections from Andhra Pradesh, it has become difficult for us to get environment and CWC (Central Water Commission) clearances," he said, speaking at the inauguration of Suzen Medicare Private Ltd on the city outskirts.
'Don't want dispute, I want permanent solution': Reddy
Meanwhile, the Telangana CM stated that his state government is not getting bank loans and funds from the Centre due to the non-clearances, which have burdened the state exchequer. He also said that his government would positively consider if its help is needed to resolve any issues in Andhra.
"We don't want a dispute. I want a permanent solution to the issues. This is not a political matter. It concerns the interests of farmers, people, and investors," he said.
Reddy said that since Telangana does not have a port, it has proposed a 12-lane access-controlled express highway and rail connectivity to the Machilipatnam port in Andhra Pradesh. He noted that Telangana needs the cooperation of its neighbour for port access, just as Andhra Pradesh requires Hyderabad’s support for the development of its capital, Amaravati.
"Talks will definitely continue with the neighbouring state, and we don't want to have disputes with neighbouring states, whether it is Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu. We want to resolve problems with neighbours through talks," he said.
Congress does not want political benefit from water dispute
Meanwhile, Reddy also stated that Congress and his government do not want any political benefit under the guise of water disputes. Reddy said the Congress government does not seek political gains from water disputes, remarks made amid renewed inter-state water tensions.
Highlighting employment, he said the government has filled 75,000 vacancies since taking office in December 2023 and plans to fill many more. He also stated that the government would try to attract private investment to provide jobs to the youth, noting that 30 lakh youth are unemployed in the state.