Jana Reddy refutes Harish Rao's charges, says no bias against T

Describing the charges leveled against him by Telangana Rashtra Samithi MLA T Harish Rao as ‘baseless’, Panchayat Raj and Rural Water Supply Minister K Jana Reddy on Friday said that the funds released by the 13th Finance Commission to provide drinking water facility for Andhra Pradesh were utilized correctly.

Condemning Harish Rao’s remarks that the state government has not even released a single paisa for the Telangana from the funds, Mr Jana Reddy media persons at Congress Legislature Party Office that the 13th Finance Commission had released funds for the developing drinking water facilities in Coastal areas and he had followed these directions.

Mr Jana Reddy revealed that in response to a five-year-old representation, the Union Government recently allocated funds for taking up drinking water schemes in villages affected by salinity problem. The salinity problem is prevalent only in Coastal Andhra. Similarly, villages in Nalgonda, Prakasam and Kurnool and their neighbouring districts suffer from excess fluoride in drinking water and villages in hilly areas suffer from iodine deficiency,” the Minister said.

The Minister reminded that there was no bias against Telangana region by saying that the 12th Finance Commission had allotted Rs 325 crore in 2005 for the providing drinking water facility in fluoride affected areas.

Out of Rs 325 crore, the government had allocated Rs 230 crore for providing drinking water facility in the Telangana and not done any injustice to the region while allocating funds, he pointed out.

Mr Jana Reddy stated that the charges leveled by Harish Rao are baseless and far from truth. He said the Telangana region has not suffered any injustice during the allotment of funds.

Condemning the allegation that he was unresponsive to the needs of Telangana though he hailed from the region, the Minister said, “I am not doing any justice to Telangana and I am committed to the formation of a separate state. I am doing my bit while staying in the party.”

“After assuming charge, I am working towards Telangana state formation and has not become a mute spectator as alleged by Harish Rao,” Mr Jana Reddy stated.