Hyderabad:
Former Minister and senior BRS leader Harish Rao on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Congress party, accusing it of systematically betraying Telangana’s interests—particularly in river water sharing, irrigation projects, and economic development—from the time of state formation to the present day.
Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, Harish Rao made a detailed PowerPoint presentation titled “River Waters – Congress Betrayals”, outlining what he described as decades of injustice inflicted on Telangana.
Ignoring SRC Recommendations
Harish Rao alleged that the Congress government forcibly merged Telangana with Andhra Pradesh by ignoring the Fazal Ali Commission (SRC) recommendations, calling it a “death warrant” for Telangana. He said this decision opened the doors for exploitation of Telangana’s funds, water resources, and employment opportunities.
He also recalled the 1969 Telangana agitation, stating that the killing of 369 students was a result of Congress’ criminal negligence and betrayal.
Scrapping Key Irrigation Projects
According to Harish Rao, the SRC had recommended continuation of irrigation projects initiated by the Hyderabad State government (1952–56). However, Congress allegedly scrapped major Telangana projects like Ichampally and Devanur, pushing the region into long-term backwardness.
He said projects such as Upper Krishna, Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal, and Kalwakurthy, planned for the use of 174 TMC of water, were shelved, turning Palamuru into a migration-prone region.
Severe Water Allocation Imbalance
Harish Rao highlighted glaring disparities in river water usage:
- Godavari basin: 79% lies in Telangana, but actual water utilization is only 15.7%
- Krishna basin: 68% lies in Telangana, but utilization is limited to 15.4%
He said Telangana was left with incomplete canals and paper projects, while Andhra Pradesh reaped the benefits.
Flawed State Reorganisation Act
The BRS leader accused Congress of drafting the AP Reorganisation Act in a manner unfavorable to Telangana. He pointed out that Section 3 failed to include Krishna water reallocation, pushing Telangana into prolonged legal disputes.
He further alleged that Schedule 11 prioritized Andhra projects while sidelining Telangana projects like Palamuru-Rangareddy, Dindi, and Srisailam Stage-II.
Criticism of Present Congress Government
Harish Rao extended his criticism to the present Congress-led Telangana government, accusing it of continuing historical injustices. He claimed that irrigation projects built under former CM K. Chandrashekar Rao were being deliberately neglected or damaged.
He alleged that Telangana’s water usage has fallen to its lowest level in history under the current administration and blamed policy failures for the collapse of projects like Srisailam Stage-II (SSC).
Allegations of Political Compromise
Harish Rao accused the government of halting Telangana projects while silently supporting Andhra Pradesh’s Polavaram–Nallamala Sagar project, calling it a betrayal of Telangana farmers.
Strong Questions Raised
“Is it not betrayal to remain silent when Telangana’s rightful water share is threatened?”
“Is it not corruption to collude with the sand mafia and destroy water infrastructure?”