His latest letter to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) is yet another effort to dry up Telangana’s power reserves. But in his hurry to ‘punish’ Telangana, the AP CM is relying on arguments that are unbecoming of someone in CM position. The letter exposed the AP CM’s double-standards, on many counts.
Mr Naidu argues that the river board has to interfere and stop Telangana from generating power from Srisailam waters as the waters would be needed for drinking water and irrigation in future. It is interesting to note that the same Naidu wrote to the Godavari river board, the other river board overseeing TS & AP river waters, sometime ago that river boards have no authority to decide on matters related to power. This was when TS went to the Godavari river board then to ask AP to share power generated from Sileru Hydel plants. AP has been hitherto refusing to share power from the hydel plant ever since it was transferred to AP with the 7 mandals for Polavaram. AP Irrigation Secreatry Aditya Nath Das argued that the Board was meant for dealing with water issues, not power projects. “Power should be dealt with by the Centre. The subjects of power and water should not be clubbed,” he was quoted then.
Of course, all this while all central bodies like CEA, ERC asked AP to abide by the AP Reorganisation Act and share 53% with Telangana. Did the AP CM heed to any of these? No. He says those observations are not ‘binding’. But now he writes to the same central bodies to ask Telangana to stop its power generation. Talk about double standards.
Interestingly, it is Chandrababu Naidu who issued the GO 69 in June, 1996, in his capacity as CM, that hydel power can be generated at Srisailam till the water level reaches 834 feet. In fact, there were many instances in erstwhile AP, where power was generated till the level went to even as low as 77o feet. However, now the AP CM created ruckus with his letter even while the levels were comfortable at 860 feet!
And when there was the controversy over release of water from Nagarjunasagar dam for Krishna delta, AP CM argued for release of water even for irrigation while the levels are at dead storage level. Even while that was against protocol, water was forced to be released saying any deficit in drinking waters Telangana would face can be compensated by release of water in upper river basins. What makes Naidu not apply the same logic now? Why is he worried about depletion of waters, even while they are nowhere near as low as the levels marked in his own GO!?
There is one thing the TDP Chief should realize. Water and Power problems are gone with seasons, but the hardships he is causing the poor Telangana farmers , in his enthusiasm to corner the TRS government, would be difficult to forget for the people of Telangana, who are observing these power politics.
source : telangana talkies