TDP meet slams Telugu CMs' 'drama' over Krishna water

Mangalagiri: TDP politburo meeting presided by party national president N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday dismissed the ongoing Krishna water dispute as a 'political drama being enacted by the Chief Ministers of the two Telugu states for their narrow selfish interests. The politburo condemned the 'artificial water disputes' being created by the two CMs and advised them to sit together and talk in order to resolve the issues amicably.

Addressing a press conference at the TDP central office, former minister and TDP politburo member Kalava Srinivasulu said that their party was strongly objecting to the manner in which the AP and Telangana CMs were causing harm to the interests of the farmers with their selfish and personal agendas. The common public and intellectuals everywhere were having doubts over why the two Telugu CMs were complicating the water issues even though they were known for their close friendship and cordial relations.

Srinivasulu suggested that if they could not solve the water issues by themselves, K Chadnrashekar Rao and Jagan Mohan Reddy should ask the Centre to call for the Apex Council meeting immediately.

The TDP leader asserted that the previous Chandrababu government had the credit to have supplied water to Rayalaseema by March and April at that time by interlinking the Krishna and Godavari rivers successfully. Whereas, YSR and Jagan have only betrayed the backward Seema region by compromising on its water rights while using it as just a vote bank.

Srinivasulu said that their party politburo demanded the government to complete the Polavaram project to its full capacity in order to protect the rights of AP. The other demands included immediate payment of the NREGS bills as per the orders of the courts.

It also sought revival of the drip irrigation subsidies that were given by the previous government. The meeting criticised the state government for not even passing on the benefits of the Central subsidies to the state farmers.

The TDP demanded white papers on the financial crisis, Rs 41,000 Cr accounting lapses, needless publicity expenditure and on illegal arrests of the TDP leaders.