HYDERABAD: The debate on the Mahatma Gandhi (Kalwakurthy) Lift Irrigation Scheme, between Telugu Desam and Congress MLAs was marred by acrimonious exchanges and a challenge by an associated member of the Congress, J. Krishna Rao, to resign as legislator, if the charges of corruption were proved.

Mr. Rao flashed his resignation letter and said he would submit it to the Assembly Speaker if the parched Mahbubnagar district does not receive 5,000 cusecs of water by December 31, 2007, as proposed by the Government. "Let the TDP MLA, N. Janardhana Reddy, do the same or prove otherwise."

No meeting point

With no meeting point between them even after a three-hour long discussion, the debate at the committee hall of the Assembly ended abruptly and when their repeated appeals went unheeded, the two moderators, senior journalists K. Srinivas Reddy and K. Srinivasa Rao, simply moved out. The two groups kept arguing angrily even after the meeting was called off.

The meeting, in a way unique, was a sequel to the charge of Dr. Janardhana Reddy, Telugu Desam Legislature Party Deputy Leader, that there were irregularities in the tender process for the scheme. He challenged the Congress MLAs to a debate where he could prove the charges.

The Congress accepted the challenge and fielded, apart from Mr. Krishna Rao, G. Chinna Reddy, Vamshi Krishna, Swarna Sudhakar Reddy and Y. Kista Reddy (all MLAs). Besides Mr. Janardhan Reddy, the TDP was represented by R. Chandrasekhara Reddy (Rajya Sabha member) Sana Maruthi and E. Dayakara Rao (MLAs), Jaipal Yadav and P. Ramulu (former MLAs).

Quiet start

The debate started off in a quiet manner with both parties confining themselves to discussion on the technical points raised by Dr. Janardhan Reddy. But when the third point on whether the 6 metre diametre tunnel and 2.5 m diametre delivery main proposed by the contractor was sufficient to draw 5,000 cusecs discharge required from 3.4 lakh acre ayacut came up, it generated a lot of heat.

The Telugu Desam's argument was that since AMR project was the model, the Kalwakurthy scheme should have 9 m diametre tunnel for delivering 5,000 cusecs at a velocity of 2.4 metre per second. Congress MLAs defended the Government decision to go in for a 7-metre diametre tunnel at the same velocity.

"We will not accept if it delivers less than 5,000 cusecs," they said. Even as the debate was going on, Dr. Janardhana Reddy was forced to withdraw his charge that the Congress had brought contractors and engineers to the hall. The next point that became a bone of contention was the surge pool and with Congress members pointing to the irregularities in Godavari Lift Irrigation Scheme during the TDP regime, another round of heated arguments ensued and the meeting was called off.

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