BRS MLA Harish Rao slams Centre for backing Andhra Pradesh’s Godavari-Banakacherla project

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao strongly criticised the BJP-led Central government for allegedly discriminating against Telangana’s irrigation interests while extending full support to Andhra Pradesh’s Godavari-Banakacherla link project.

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At a press conference, Rao said Andhra Pradesh was proceeding aggressively with the Rs 80,000-crore project with the tacit approval of the Centre. He alleged that the Centre had relaxed Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) norms for Andhra Pradesh, enabling it to raise significant funds for the Banakacherla project, while Telangana was made to struggle to mobilise funds for key projects like the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS).

“To execute the Kaleshwaram project, the BRS government had to form a consortium to raise funds. Yet, the Centre invoked recovery clauses, citing FRBM violations by Telangana,” he said.