Hyderabad: Caretaker Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao today launched a scathing attack against Telugu Desam Chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for “deceiving” Telangana people by persistently trying to stall the irrigation projects. Addressing the media at Telangana Bhavan here today, Harish accused Chandrababu Naidu of being No. 1 “traitor” of Telangana and demanded an explanation from him in a letter comprising 19 questions. “We have serious objections to the campaign of the TDP for the Assembly elections as Chandrababu had adopted dual standards on the Telangana projects by staging a protest for Palamur lift irrigation scheme during late YSR regime and later opposed it after bifurcation of united Andhra Pradesh State. He also accused the TDP Chief of changing the tack after becoming Chief Minister to divided Andhra Pradesh and wrote a number of letters to the Centre against Telangana irrigation projects. Harish Rao said, “Chandrababu Naidu stiffly opposed the irrigation projects of Telangana like Kaleshwaram, Palamur and others and mounted pressure on the Centre to stall them citing they were illegal. Naidu embraced the BJP-led NDA Government for four years and supported its every policy. During statehood movement, Naidu tried to stall the process and did everything against Telangana. Till the last minute of State bifurcation, Chandrababu tried his best at the national level to sabotage formation of Telangana State. Even after bifurcation, the TDP chief has been consistently opposing Telangana irrigation projects, which amounts to backstabbing Telangana people”, Harish Rao fumed. Harish Rao also alleged that Chandrababu Naidu had caused Rs 500 crore loss to the Telangana State by taking away Seeleru power plant and got 2465 mw power canceled unilaterally. He reiterated that the TDP chief has been relentlessly opposing all the irrigation projects of the Telangana with an aim to turn it into a desert. However, the nefarious designs of the TDP president will not work in Telangana State and the people will teach him a fitting lesson in the upcoming polls. He said Naidu’s objections rise from the TDP hidden agenda of compromising on Telangana’s interests. “In democratic systems, any party or an individual has a right to contest in electoral process.” If the Congress-led alliance goes on to gain power, Chandrababu will exploit Telangana in irrigation, power and other sectors in favour of AP government, he added. By terminating the AP government’s agreements with the private electricity companies, the AP CM tried to tweak the terms in AP State Reorganization Act, 2014 on the pretext of AP’s shortage of power. In the context of Chandrababu’s attempts to slow down the growth of the State, the TDP leaders would have to clarify on trying to halt the irrigation projects. In irrigation and power sectors, Chandrababu was desperate to get hold of the state of affairs in Telangana, he added. He recalled that the AP government too filed its bid to supply electricity to Telangana at a higher price, after denying help while the farmers of the State were struggling with power cuts in 2014. As per the Reorganisation Act, Telangana was entitled to its fair share of power from Andhra Pradesh. How could Chandrababu government offer to sell electricity to Telangana after stating it fell short of power supply? he questioned. Along with his open letter, Harish Rao released copies of letters written by Naidu and AP Government opposing irrigation projects in Telangana. On the power front, Harish Rao said despite the AP Reorganization Act, 2014 specifying Telangana’s share of electricity generated by AP, Naidu government, with the only object of making it appear that it was short of power, cancelled power purchase agreements with private power companies. The entire plan of the AP government was to bleed the infant Telangana State resorted to all possible tricks not allow the new State to settle down, Harish Rao said. Source: NSS

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