Stage set for Telugu CMs' dialogue; in-camera meeting raises eyebrows

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and his AP counterpart YS Jaganmohan Reddy will meet in Hyderabad at Pragati Bhavan on Monday afternoon to discuss water-sharing and interlinking of Godavari and Krishna rivers. Though officially the agenda may be on several pending issues, the in-camera meeting is giving scope for speculations that the discussion would also be on political issues, said a political analyst.

The meeting between KCR and YS Jagan assumes significance amid ongoing agitation and protests over the capital city of Andhra Pradesh. Today's meeting is for the fourth time since YS Jagan became the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh in June 2019. Previous meetings were held in last June, August and September.

Both CMs may also discuss the ongoing tussle over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Issues pertaining to the bifurcation of AP may crop up at the meeting, said an official. Division of Scheduled organisation under 9th and 10th Schedules of the AP Reorganisation Act-2014 will come up for discussion. Further, the division of DSC and electricity employees, RTC, State Finance Corporation, etc., are part of the agenda, said the official.

Other issues include bifurcation of assets and liabilities, including employees between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. KCR is keen on diversion of Godavari river to Krishna basin. KCR wants to share Godavari water with Andhra Pradesh as it will help Rayalaseema prosper.

"In the previous meeting, both the CMs agreed on preparing a draft plan on the Godavari-Krishna linkage proposal. Maybe they will discuss the draft plan to take it further," added the official.