Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday declared that he was ready to sit with his Telangana counterpart K. Chandrasekhar Rao to discuss and resolve problems affecting both the States, but faulted the Telangana government for making an issue of the release of Krishna waters for drinking water needs and the manner in which demolitions were being carried out in Hyderabad.
Replying to questions at a press conference after releasing a white paper on the power sector in Andhra Pradesh, he said that prior to bifurcation, he had warned that Telangana region would face power shortage as also problems on irrigation front. “We should not rouse passions. We have to cooperate with each other to solve problems of the people,” he quipped.
Asked about the complaint of Telangana government that Andhra Pradesh was overdrawing power and its action was affecting the southern grid, he said Andhra Pradesh government was honouring Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). “I have developed Hyderabad and also the rural areas. I have commitment for both the regions as TDP got 23 per cent vote share in Telangana. They have no commitment and they can talk anything,” he added.
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Criticising the demolitions being carried out in Hyderabad, Mr. Naidu said there was no procedure in that. He also took exception to the fence erected in the Secretariat to separate the blocks housing the offices of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments, he asked “Is it Pakistan and India” and observed that there should be give and take between the two States.
At the same time, Mr. Naidu said he was against finger-pointing as politics and people’s welfare were two different aspects. He said all issues could be settled amicably as there were rules and regulations.
He also recalled that during his meeting with Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal in Delhi recently he had pleaded for more allocation of power to both the States till the situation improved.
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