The Centre has convened a meeting with Chief Ministers of seven States on October 28 to discuss on Godavari-Caurvery rivers linking project.

The CM’s include Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy, Telangana CM K.Chandrasekhar Rao besides CMs of Chhatisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

The meeting will be chaired by union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. The meeting will be held through video conference.

But doubts are being raised that Jagan and KCR have decided to skip this meeting though it is held in virtual mode.

Both Jagan and KCR are at loggerheads over Krishna water sharing dispute and both are avoiding seeking and talking to each other since May last year after Jagan announced to construct Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project diverting Srisailam water.

Both the CMs have filed cases against each other in the Supreme Court on Krishna water dispute which finally resulted in Centre deciding to takeover all the projects on Krishna and Godavari in AP and Telangana by issuing a gazette in July this year.

Under these circumstances, both the CMs want to avoid meeting to be held on October 28 as each doubt that the other will raise water sharing dispute in the meeting and cause embarrassment.

It remains to be seen either KCR will skip or Jagan will skip or both will skip the meeting.