The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs from Prakasam district has urged Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to withdraw the complaint made by his government to the Centre pertaining to the approvals given to the Veligonda irrigation project.
In a letter addressed to Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday, the TDP MLAs strongly objected to the letter written by the Telangana to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) on August 23, alleging that the Veligonda project was being illegally constructed without approvals.
The Telangana government has written another letter to the Centre. The TDP MLAs Gottipati Ravi Kumar, Yeluri Sambasiva Rao and Dola Balaveeranjaneya Swamy said that the Veligonda project was not listed in the recent gazette notification issued by the Centre and attributed it to the ‘inefficiency’ of the Andhra Pradesh government.
“Non-listing in the gazette doesn’t mean that the project had no permissions. The Telangana government should not jump to any needless conclusions simply because Andhra Pradesh government is failing in highlighting the interests of the project,” they said.
The TDP leaders reminded Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao of the fact that Veligonda was included along with the Kalwakurthy and the Nettempadu in the list of six approved projects in the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act in 2014.
It was a fact that through the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act, the Centre had given approval to Veligonda along with the Kalswakurthy and Nettempadu projects in Telangana, the TDP leaders said, adding, “It is not correct to complain against Veligonda project now. The Telangana government should explain whether Kalwakurthy and Nettempadu projects have the necessary approvals.”
Drought-prone district
The TDP leaders pointed out that Prakasam district was in the list of very backward districts in the country. “Prakasam was one of the drought0prone districts in the united Andhra Pradesh too. Veligonda project is the only solution to Prakasam district woes. Notwithstanding, the Telangana government is creating hurdles,” they added.
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