The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Ponnala, Naidu lock horns

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Friday, Nov 16, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Ponnala, Naidu lock horns

Special Correspondent

Extent of new ayacut created under Jalayagnam

Naidu offers to prove his point if Minister came with him to Dornakal
Ponnala critical of TD leaders for delaying Jalayagnam projects

HYDERABAD: Major Irrigation Minister P. Lakshmaiah crossed swords with Leader of Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu in the Assembly on Thursday over the extent of new ayacut created in the State under Jalayagnam, the programme for construction of irrigation projects launched by the Congress Government.

Responding to a question tabled by T. Devender Goud (Telugu Desam), the Minister said that an additional ayacut of 11.09 lakh acres was created under ‘Jalayagnam’ and announced a time-frame for release of water from few more completed projects.

Claim disputed

Disputing the claim, Mr Naidu said the statistics were “fudged” since some of the projects under Jalayagnam were actually completed by the Telugu Desam Government. The Alimineti Madhava Reddy Canal project and Maddivalasa were executed during his tenure, while an ayacut of 87,000 acres in Dornakal area of Warangal district created earlier was included in the new ayacut.

The TDP president offered to prove his point if the Minister came along with him to Dornakal and if a House Committee was constituted to verify the claims. Reading figures from an official document, he said the ayacut covered by assured irrigation had actually come down by 1 lakh acres now.

TD, TRS stage walkout

Protesting against the Minister’s statement on the ground that it contained untruths, Mr Naidu led his party members’ walkout from the House.

TRS members led by Nayani Narsimha Reddy also walked out alleging that injustice had been done to Telangana since only 2.29 lakh acres of the ayacut lay in the region.

Mr Lakshmaiah lambasted the TDP leaders for delaying the execution of Jalayagnam projects by 11 months by filing court cases.

They also vied with one aother to get themselves photographed with him when he released water from Sriramsagar Stage II, he charged.

The Minister disclosed that water would be released from Guthpa and Gundlakamma soon and from Devadula and Swarnamukhi in a month.

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