The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Ensure stoppage of Babli work, YSR urges Manmohan Singh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Ensure stoppage of Babli work, YSR urges Manmohan Singh

Special Correspondent

TDP delegation submits memorandum to Chief Minister on the issue

STRONG PROTEST: Telugu Desam Party delegation after meeting Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in Hyderabad on Tuesday. -Photo: K. Ramesh Babu

HYDERABAD : Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy on Tuesday sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention to ensure halt to construction of Babli barrage by the Maharashtra Government `as decided' at the inter-State meeting on April 4.

In a letter to Dr. Singh, which was released to the media later, he stated that the increased pace of construction despite the decision had been widely reported in local press. Press clippings were also enclosed.

The Chief Minister expressed "alarm" about the Maharashtra Government's attitude ignoring the instructions of the Centre issued from time. He described as "unfortunate" the attack on April 6 on the Nizamabad MP by locals when he along with followers visited the project site.

The letter alleged that local police had remained "silent spectators". The MP had gone there to verify whether Maharashtra was complying with the decisions taken on April 4. It noted that the work had not been stopped and that the area had been cordoned off by the police.

TDP's plea

Meanwhile, a delegation of Telugu Desam leaders submitted a representation to Dr. Reddy at his camp office drawing his attention to the Maharashtra Government's action in "unauthorisedly" and "illegally" constructing 11 projects near Babli and ten other places. They wanted the Chief Minister to lead an all-party delegation to New Delhi to draw the Centre's attention to the issue.

Dr. Reddy said he would be leaving for New Delhi on Wednesday night and meet the Prime Minister the following day to apprise him of the situation. T. Devender Goud, TDP deputy floor leader, told press persons that the projects being built by Maharashtra would "seriously impair" the legitimate rights of Telangana people to have supply of water for drinking and agriculture.

TDP demand

While demanding permanent stoppage of work, it said "denial of water would break the tolerance limits of people.

It stated that farmers of Andhra Pradesh were deeply agitated and requested Dr. Reddy to get the work stopped.

The TDP delegation comprised K. Srihari and legislators -- E. Dayakar Rao, Sana Maruthi, K. Harishwar Reddy, G. Sayananna and D. Narendra Kumar -- among others.

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