The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : YSR accused of intimidating Telangana

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Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

YSR accused of intimidating Telangana

Special Correspondent

Shashidhar and PJR join issue with Chief Minister on Pothireddypadu

HYDERABAD: Stepping up their dissension on the Pothireddypadu controversy, Congress MLAs P. Janardhan Reddy and M. Shashidhar Reddy on Tuesday asked Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy to stop his attempts to intimidate the Telangana region by raising extraneous issues.

Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, they said Dr. Reddy had deliberately linked the Pothireddypadu head regulator issue to other irrigation projects like Nettempad, Kalwakurthi and Bheema by seeking a wider debate, including projects similarly based on surplus water of Krishna in Telangana.

"No one can intimidate us for seeking a clarification on the issue. We are not asking the Government to deprive Rayalaseema of its share of water. Its argument is unconvincing. When we raised the issue at the recent APCC meeting, the Chief Minister said any debate should include all Telangana projects. Does he mean to say that he will put a halt to those projects too," they asked.

Arguing that Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah was trying to divert people's attention by challenging his critics for a debate, they said "when the PCC has already fixed January 15 as the date for it, why is the Minister raising the subject now?"

Cabinet approval

The Congress MLAs alleged that the increased capacity of the head regulator would allow diversion of up to 500 tmcft of Krishna water in future. The existing capacity itself was aimed at diverting 361 tmcft.

Till date this season, 93 tmcft of water had been released to Rayalaseema, they said.

There was also no answer to the question as to why there was no Cabinet approval either for increasing the capacity of the regulator or increasing the project cost from Rs.1,200 crores to Rs.2,225 crores whereas a minor project like Manchalakanta project in Mahabubnagar district (0.05 TMC) needed Cabinet approval.

Pointing out that the documents released by Mr. Lakshmaiah mentioned that 880 ft level of Srisailam reservoir would allow discharge of 44,374 cusecs, they reminded the Minister of his offer to resign if even a drop more would flow out than 44,000 cusecs.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ponnala Lakshmaiah stuck to his guns on his challenge to his critics to come for a public debate on the issue. Reacting on the reported acceptance of his challenge by the TRS and the TDP, he said: "Let me see how many parties respond before fixing the venue."

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