The Telangana Assembly’s winter session will commence today, anticipated to be more intense than previous sittings. This is the first session after the Jubilee Hills by-election and recent panchayat elections, both victories for the ruling party, giving the government momentum to assert its stance over the opposition. Key agenda items include allocation of irrigation water, municipal mergers within GHMC’s ORR limits, increasing wards from 150 to 300, removal of the two-child norm in local body elections, Telangana GST amendments, employee regularization, pay structure reforms through two ordinances, Panchayat Raj law amendments, and gazette notifications related to rural development projects.
Condolence motions for late MLAs Ramreddy Damodhar Reddy and Konda Lakshma Reddy, audit reports from TSS and PM School for Rising India, and annual reports of the Horticulture Development Corporation are also being presented. Sessions will be paused on December 30, 31, and January 1 due to Vaikunta Ekadashi, year-end, and New Year observances.
A major focus of the session is expected to be on Krishna and Godavari river water allocations. The ongoing dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over Krishna river water will be discussed, with potential debates between BRS and Congress members. The Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation project and its water allocations are also on the agenda, with the government clarifying that only 45 TMCs have been requested for Telangana, while BRS leaders claim 90 TMCs are needed. Deliberations will also cover water-sharing agreements and expenditure on irrigation projects over the past decade, with a full day likely dedicated to these issues.
BRS chief and Leader of Opposition K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) is attending the first day of the session, having returned to Hyderabad from Erravelli. Ahead of the session, KCR instructed party leaders on strategies, key points, and responses for the river water and Palamuru-Rangareddy project debates. BRS Working President K. T. Rama Rao stated the party is ready for discussions on Palamuru-Rangareddy and other irrigation issues, accusing Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of politicizing the project. The Chief Minister, in turn, asserted that the government is prepared to counter BRS arguments with full evidence. Discussions will also reference the Krishna Tribunal and pending approvals for the lift irrigation project, with 45 TMCs allocated for immediate use until tribunal verdicts on the full 90 TMCs are finalized.