The meeting of Pothireddypadu anti-expansion struggle committee was held at Gandhi Bhavan today. The Chairman of the committee Nagam Janardhan Reddy presided over the meeting. TPCC President N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Convenor of the committee Rammohan Reddy, AICC Secretary SA Sampath Kumar former minister G. Prasad Kumar former MP Mallu Ravi and DCC presidents of the different districts took part in the meeting. Nagam Janardhan Reddy gave a power point presentation on the issue during the meeting.
Speaking on the occasion, TPCC President Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the irrigation water was the main issue in the struggle for separate Telangana State. He said that CM KCR was the union minister and his six party leaders were state cabinet ministers when Pothireddypadu head regulator was expanded. He alleged that KCR did not utter a single word about its expansion despite holding the union minister’s post. He alleged CM KCR had now colluded with his AP counterpart YS Jaganmohan Reddy and extending cooperation to him to withdraw water from Krishna River and take it to the AP state. He also alleged that KCR had not stopped Jagan in any manner when the AP CM spoke about the expansion of the Pothireddypadu head regulator scheme six months back and added that KCR was also not doing anything even after the issuance of the GO by the AP government for the expansion of the head regulator.
Reddy made it clear that Nagarjuna Sagar project would be dried up if Pothireddypadu was expanded. He made it clear that the Congress party would fight till the AP government stopped its decision to expand the head regulator. The chairman of the committee
Nagam alleged that CM KCR had shut his mouth even after the Andhra people were taking away the legitimate share of water of Telangana state from Krishna river. He said that AP has system to draw 34 tmc of net water and 67 tmc of flood waters from Krishna River in 17 days. He alleged that the AP government had already looted hundreds of tmcs of water from the Krishna River . He mocked that CM KCR only knew about pumps, motors, re-engineering and redesigns. He alleged that the CM was trying to earn commissions by lifting Godavari river water into Krishna river after the loot of AP government. He said that while AP government is cultivating two crops every year, the Telangana is starving for the cultivation of the crops under the Krishna River.
Jagam said that the committed had decided to convert the name of Krishna river water protection Congress Committee instead of its existing name of Pothireddpadu committee. He said that the expansion of the pothireddypadu head regulator would cause a greater harm to the south Telangana region of the state. He said that injustice was being done to the state even after formation of the separate Telangana state. He said that their committee would tour all the villages of the state and expose the secret agreements entered by CM KCR on irrigation projects with AP CM and others. He made it clear that they would fight on behalf of the farmers of the state.