Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur   

Tungabhadra: Karnataka criticised for delay

Staff Reporter

Third phase of Praja Patham launched

EYE FOR DETAIL: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy going through a brochure published by the I&PR Department on the progress of schemes mandal-wise during Praja Patham meeting at P. Yaleru in Anantapur on Tuesday as A. Venkatarami Reddy, MP, looks on.

ANANTAPUR: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has blamed Karnataka for the delay in taking up modernisation of the inter-State Tungabhadra Right High Level Canal (HLC). The State Government has been trying to convince Karnataka for the last three years for improving the water carrying capacity of the canal but in vain, he said.

Speaking after launching the third phase of `Praja Patham' programme at Padamati Yaleru village of Atmakur mandal in the district on Tuesday, he said he had personally spoken to his Karnataka counterpart three times and had also written to him for convening a meeting on the issue but the response has been cold for the past three years, he said. He said that the Karnataka Chief Minister had told him not to visit Bangalore on the issue as the former would not be in a position to talk on the issue due to political constraints.

Karnataka's attitude had not changed even after the Tungabhadra Board, which controls the Tungabhadra project and 105 kms of HLC in Karnataka territory, had passed a resolution stressing the need for modernisation.

As Karnataka was not forthcoming on the issue, the State Government has decided to take up modernisation of the canal in its territory and tenders will be called for the purpose within a month, the Chief Minister said.

On Handri-Neeva project he said the first phase would be completed in a year and tenders for the second stage would be finalised soon. The second phase would be completed in three years, he said.

TDP padayatras

Welcoming the padayatras planned and launched by the TDP leaders of the district on the issues of HLC modernisation and Science City project, the Chief Minister said such efforts would bring out more problems of the people to the notice of the Government. He sought to know from the TDP leaders why they had failed to take up the modernisation issue during the its rule.

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