Telangana seeks no special privilege with respect to Krishna waters, the state’s Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said on Thursday, adding the state seeks its fair entitlement through the legal mechanisms already established.

“The State’s approach is that established adjudicatory mechanisms must be respected, and the same principles applied to all riparian States,” he said at the 31st Southern Zonal Council held in Mahabalipuram on Thursday.

At the meeting, Telangana reiterated that it retains lower-riparian rights over surplus waters.

Telangana’s approach is to seek fair, time-bound and legally sustainable resolution of inter-State issues, he said. The states naturally compete, and should compete, for investment, industry, jobs and talent, he said.

With the allocation of Krishna waters between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh already under consideration before the second Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT-II), Vikramarka stressed that the matter should be dealt with through established legal and adjudicatory process.

Telangana also sought Central financial support for Kaleshwaram and Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme.

‘Several issues with Andhra remain unresolved’

Vikramarka noted that even 12 years after the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, several issues between the two successor states remain unresolved. “Andhra Pradesh has sought division of assets of certain Schedule X institutions,” he said. Telangana said that such claims are not supported by the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, except for continuation of facilities under Section 75. Telangana seeks closure according to the Act and in a manner that allows both states to move forward, he said.

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The deputy CM emphasised that cooperation among the southern states will become even more important in the coming years. He identified water security, energy, climate resilience, urbanisation, logistics and economic competitiveness as challenges that increasingly transcend state boundaries.

“These challenges will require southern states to cooperate even while they compete…” he said. “If southern India grows together, India grows faster,” he added.