Revanth defends the appointment of a HYDRAA commissioner and hails the agency as a major reform

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said the government would examine the Supreme Court’s directions to relieve AV Ranganath as HYDRAA commissioner and explore all legal options. | Photo credit: NAGARA GOPAL

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday strongly defended the state government’s authority to appoint officers, saying the posting was entirely at its discretion. He said the government will examine the Supreme Court’s direction to relieve AV Ranganath as HYDRAA Commissioner and explore all legal options in this regard.

Speaking to the media in Delhi, Mr Reddy described HYDRAA as one of the most significant reforms introduced by his government and promised to strengthen the agency. He reiterated that encroachments on water bodies will be removed at any cost. He also claimed that HYDRAA has earned recognition from across the country for its efforts to protect public property.

“We are absolutely clear about HYDRAA’s role. We will study the Supreme Court’s order and continue our efforts to protect public lands and water bodies,” he said, claiming that only those interested in occupying public lands opposed HYDRAA’s actions.

Referring to contempt proceedings related to the operation of HYDRAA, the chief minister claimed that the former chief secretary was facing around 400 contempt of court cases. He accused BRS leaders of filing cases with the intent of ignorance and deceiving the public about HYDRAA activities. He also alleged that the money was spent on spreading false propaganda against the agency on social media.

In connection with the exam paper leaks, Mr. Reddy expressed concern over the conduct of exams in offline mode and said that it has led to several problems. He accused the Center of trying to curtail the powers of states in the education sector and take over universities.

“If education remains under the state’s jurisdiction as much as possible, such mistakes can be avoided,” he said, calling for strict action against those responsible for examination irregularities.

Referring to the fee reimbursement issue, the Chief Minister assured the students that Telangana would no longer face payment delays. Stating that the scheme costs the government around ₹ 2,200 crore annually, he said the charges will be paid in the same financial year henceforth.

Published – 28 Jul 2026 19:58 IST