CPI(M) seeks withdrawal of proposed Water Regulatory Commission

The Communist Party of India(Marxist) Andhra Pradesh committee has demanded immediate withdrawal of the State government's proposal to establish a Water Regulatory Commission, alleging that it would privatise drinking and irrigation water, impose an additional financial burden on people and adversely affect agriculture.

CPI(M) State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao, in a press release, alleged that the government was planning to introduce the commission immediately after the local body elections, contrary to public opinion. He said the Electricity Regulatory Commission had failed to protect consumers and instead provided cover for successive increases in power tariffs, approval of questionable power purchase agreements and additional true-up charges.

The proposed water regulator would turn drinking and irrigation water into a commercial commodity, allowing private and multinational companies to gain control over rivers and reservoirs, he alleged. Mr. Srinivasa Rao said the World Bank and the Union government had been pressuring Andhra Pradesh for several years to introduce reforms in the water sector, but successive governments had hesitated due to strong opposition from farmers.

He also criticised the State government's G.O. 160, issued during the local body election period, proposing meters for rural drinking water schemes and collection of user charges based on consumption. He alleged that the order was subsequently removed from the government website following criticism.

The CPI(M) leader urged people to oppose the proposed commission, demanding that the government should instead provide relief amid drought concerns, successive cyclones and rising prices of essential commodities.