The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has accused Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of presenting misleading information about the state’s financial situation, water disputes, and governance issues. The party claims that the Chief Minister distorted facts, especially regarding Telangana’s debt and Krishna River water allocations, during his speech in the Legislative Assembly and Council.
At a press conference on Sunday, senior BRS leader T. Harish Rao challenged the figures presented by Revanth Reddy. He referred to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data to counter the government’s claims. According to Harish Rao, Telangana’s total loans under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) limits stood at ₹3,89,673 crore as of March 31, 2024. He added that the borrowings before the formation of Telangana in 2014 were ₹72,658 crore. He argued that the actual net borrowing under the BRS government from 2014 to December 2023 was ₹3,01,897 crore, much lower than the ₹6.69 lakh crore figure stated by the Chief Minister.
Harish Rao also disputed the claims about government guarantees. He stated that the guarantees serviced during the BRS rule amounted to ₹1,15,599 crore, making the total financial obligation ₹4,17,496 crore. This, he said, contradicts the figures presented by Revanth Reddy.
Krishna Water Dispute
Regarding the Krishna River water-sharing issue, Harish Rao said that Telangana followed the pre-bifurcation water-sharing ratio of 299:512 tmc ft with Andhra Pradesh only as a temporary measure. He defended BRS’s actions, highlighting that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), the former version of BRS, had withdrawn support from the Andhra Pradesh government led by Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in 2005 due to water disputes. He also clarified that the government order (GO) for expanding the Pothireddypadu head regulator was issued in September 2005, after TRS had already left the ruling coalition.
Political Hypocrisy on Digital Media
Harish Rao also criticized Revanth Reddy for his stance on YouTube channels spreading misinformation. He alleged that Revanth Reddy had previously encouraged these platforms when he was in the opposition but was now trying to suppress them after coming to power.
These allegations have intensified political tensions between the ruling Congress government and the BRS, setting the stage for a heated debate on Telangana’s financial and water-sharing policies.
