Hyderabad: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy has urged the central government to immediately reject Andhra Pradesh's Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) for the Godavari-Banakacherla Link Project. He wants the government to stop any plans to submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR) or to call or award tenders for this project. He also dismissed accusations from BRS leader T Harish Rao about the government’s silence on this issue.
In a letter to Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil, Reddy highlighted that the project violates both the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award of 1980 and the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act (APRA), 2014. He emphasized that it threatens Telangana's legal share of river waters.
Reddy mentioned that the Andhra Pradesh government was reportedly asked to submit the DPR for the project. He expressed serious concerns over this request, stating that it implies the PFR is already approved. He noted, “It’s troubling that the AP government is asked by the Ministry of Finance, with senior officials from the Ministry of Jal Shakti present, to submit the DPR, suggesting the PFR is considered approved.”
Reddy warned that this approach is not only flawed but also breaches key principles of interstate water management. He explained that a state’s DPR should only be submitted to the CWC after the PFR is approved. He questioned if the government’s request means the PFR is already approved. Reddy firmly stated, “We oppose the central government’s request for the AP Government to submit the DPR. We are against the Godavari-Banakacherla Project.”
