Hyderabad: Congress MLA Anirudh Reddy on Wednesday demanded that the Telangana government immediately halt payment of bills to contractors from Andhra Pradesh involved in ongoing development works in the state.
Speaking at a foundation event in Balanagar mandal of Mahbubnagar district, the legislator alleged that “secret agents” of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu were operating inside Telangana, conspiring against the state’s rights over water and electricity.
He called on the government to cut off power and water supply to the homes of those he described as such agents, accusing them of securing contracts while damaging Telangana’s interests.
Reddy labelled it a deliberate plot and claimed certain contractors and officials were prioritising Andhra’s interests over Telangana’s welfare. He urged Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy not to issue contracts to such individuals so Andhra’s political leadership would be forced to rethink its stand on the Bankacharla project.
He further demanded that payments be frozen for irrigation and infrastructure works benefiting contractors with Andhra links. He argued that cutting utilities to those working against Telangana’s interests could pressure Andhra authorities to pull back from water disputes.
