Kavitha slams Congress govt for ‘misleading Assembly’ on Krishna waters, Harish Rao’s decision to boycott proceedings

Suryapet: Telangana Jagruthi president Kalvakuntla Kavitha on Sunday alleged that the Congress government misled the State Assembly on Krishna River water issues by taking advantage of the absence of the Opposition.

Addressing the media here, Kavitha criticised the actions of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and senior BRS leader and former Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao regarding the way the discussions over Krishna water sharing and irrigation projects were handled in the Assembly.

Kavitha questions decision to boycott Assembly

Kavitha questioned the rationale behind the Opposition's boycott of the Assembly, asking whether such a drastic step was justified over a personal remark against Harish Rao.

“If there was an objection, the Opposition could have staged a walkout on that issue and returned to participate in debates on other Bills. Should the Assembly be boycotted entirely for this?” she asked.

She sought clarity on whether the boycott decision was taken by Harish Rao himself or by the BRS leadership.

“If it were the leadership’s decision, it was not the right approach. Avoiding the legislature and speaking only at public meetings deprives the Opposition of its constitutional role,” she said.

‘Harish Rao must explain his decisions’

Kavitha alleged that Harish Rao had formed a group within the party and said he should have explained crucial decisions taken during his tenure.

She questioned why Harish Rao had signed agreements that allegedly reduced Telangana’s share in Krishna waters and said a detailed PowerPoint presentation should have been made public on the issue.

“Why was the intake point shifted from Jurala to Srisailam? These decisions caused serious damage to irrigation projects and adversely affected their capacity and functioning,” she alleged.

‘Congress only focusing on KCR, evading real debate on Krishna’

The former BRS leader said the Congress government was limiting the discussion to alleged mistakes by former CM K Chandrashekar Rao, instead of holding a comprehensive debate on Krishna River water allocation.

“There is no meaningful discussion on Telangana’s rights over Krishna waters. The focus is only on blaming the previous government,” she said.

Kavitha also questioned why letters were written and the matter dropped when the height of the Almatti dam was increased, alleging a lack of seriousness in protecting Telangana’s interests.

‘Why are two Congress governments unable to solve inter-state disputes?’

She criticised the Congress governments in Telangana and Karnataka for failing to resolve disputes related to Krishna and Tungabhadra River waters.

“If there is a dispute with Karnataka over Tungabhadra and Krishna waters, why are two Congress governments unable to resolve it?” she asked, accusing the Chief Minister of using allegations against the previous regime to cover up present failures.

Demand for Assembly resolutions

Kavitha demanded that the Telangana Assembly pass resolutions seeking the withdrawal of national status to Karnataka’s Upper Bhadra project and a reduction in the height of the Almatti dam.

“If the government has a genuine commitment to Krishna waters, it should pass resolutions against the national status of the Upper Bhadra project and demand a reduction in Almatti’s height,” she said.