The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Ministers challenge Naidu to debate on `irregularities'

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Wednesday, May 16, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Ministers challenge Naidu to debate on `irregularities'

Special Correspondent

Rebut TDP's chargesheet on irrigation project works

HYDERABAD: Three Ministers, including Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah, and a Congress MLC have challenged N. Chandrababu Naidu for a public debate on the "chargesheet" brought out by his party levelling various charges against irrigation projects.

They contended that Mr. Naidu should not depute any other Telugu Desam leader for the debate if he is so sure about proving the charges. At a press conference here on Tuesday, they ridiculed Mr. Naidu for his accusation that the Congress Government was "deceiving people" by giving out false figures and facts about irrigation projects. The others were Minister for Roads & Buildings T. Jeevan Reddy, Minister for Endowments J. Ratnakar Rao and B. Rajalingam, MLC.

Mr. Lakshmaiah said the new projects had brought an additional ayacut of 12.42 lakh acres under cultivation. If Mr. Naidu believed that "not a single drop of water flowed into the fields" after spending of Rs. 20,000 crore on Jalayagnam, he could prove this at the public debate.

Charge against TDP

He said the Telugu Desam had tried all means to thwart construction of projects as it would lose ground if they were completed. Now that some projects were completed, it was not able to digest the fact and was trying to defame the Government.

Its allegations were effectively answered at the 45 open debates on the projects and in the Assembly.

Mr. Lakshmaiah described the allegation that the Government wasted Rs. 1,100 crore by not implementing Polavaram works as "figment of imagination."

"We have, indeed, saved Rs. 176 crore by allowing only Rs. 12.88 crore per km of Sriramsagar Flood Flow canal excavated instead of Rs. 21.75 crore paid by the Telugu Desam regime."

It was improper on the part of the Telugu Desam to speak about Pothireddypadu now after being party to the decision taken at an all-party meeting to enhance its discharge capacity.

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