Jagan slams CM Naidu for 'neglecting' Andhra as Karnataka pushes Almatti Dam height increase
Amaravati (PTI): YSRCP supremo Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday hit out at Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for "completely neglecting" the state’s interests following Karnataka's plans to raise the height of the Almatti Dam.
Reddy pointed out that the Karnataka Cabinet recently approved increasing the dam’s height from 519 metres to 524.2 metres, which will effectively double its storage capacity from 130 TMC to 280 TMC. He noted that the neighbouring state allocated a budget of Rs 70,000 crore on September 16 for this purpose.
“Reddy delivered a sharp warning to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, accusing him of completely neglecting Andhra Pradesh’s interests while Karnataka pushes forward with raising the height of the Almatti Dam,” said a YSRCP press release.
The opposition leader alleged that despite the “grave threat” to Andhra Pradesh’s irrigation and drinking water needs, Naidu has failed to act.
“Entire regions face the danger of turning barren without water,” he said and questioned, “If Naidu cannot safeguard the rights of the state, then why should he hold the post of chief minister at all?”
Recalling Naidu’s tenure as CM between 1995 and 2004, Reddy alleged that the former had boasted of wielding influence at the Centre, yet Karnataka managed to expand the Almatti Dam, completing spillway and gate works despite the Supreme Court’s cap of 519 metres.
“Your failures in the past have already caused immense damage, and history is repeating itself today,” Reddy charged.
He claimed that for over two and a half decades, the increase in the Almatti Dam’s height had adversely impacted Andhra Pradesh during drought years, depriving it of both irrigation and drinking water. “Year after year, farmers and people have suffered because of Naidu’s inaction,” he said.
Reddy also condemned media portrayal of Naidu as running the wheel of power in Delhi, while in reality, he is “failing” to use the strength of his MPs to press the Centre to stop the dam’s expansion.
He alleged that Andhra Pradesh’s submissions before the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal II (KWDT-II) under Naidu were weak and ineffective. Reddy recalled that the erstwhile YSRCP government had filed a petition before KWDT-II in October 2023 to safeguard the state’s rights, but alleged that Naidu’s government had "mishandled the case without seriousness."
He urged Naidu to "immediately wake up," use his MPs to pressurise the Centre, halt Karnataka’s plans to raise the Almatti Dam’s height, and present strong arguments at KWDT-II.
“If you continue this betrayal of Andhra Pradesh, future generations will remember you as a chief minister who failed his own state,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, there was no immediate reaction from the TDP.
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Former minister C M Ibrahim announces to launch new regional party for Karnataka
Kalaburagi: Two years after being expelled from the Janata Dal (Secular), former minister C.M. Ibrahim has announced that he will launch a new regional political party in Karnataka on January 24, reported Deccan Herald.
Speaking at a meeting organised by the Nava Karnataka Nirmana Andolana in Kalaburagi on Sunday, Ibrahim confirmed the birth of the new party.
The 77-year-old politician stated he would soon be meeting with other like-minded individuals to choose a symbol for the party.
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Ibrahim emphasised that the organisation would be guided by the principles of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna and the architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
A veteran politician, Ibrahim served as Union Civil Aviation Minister during the tenure of H.D. Deve Gowda as Prime Minister and later headed the Karnataka unit of the Janata Dal (Secular). He was expelled from the JD(S) in 2023 on charges of anti-party activities.
His exit from the party followed sharp differences over the JD(S) decision to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As the then state president of the JD(S), Ibrahim had publicly criticised the alliance, claiming it was finalised without his knowledge. He had also reportedly convened meetings of his supporters and expressed support for the INDIA bloc.
