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Andhra Pradesh
By Our Special Correspondent
Mr. Naidu asserted that he was prepared to talk to anyone for protecting the State's interests but Karnataka had a track record of rejecting efforts to resolve such rows through discussions and even Tamil Nadu had a bitter experience in the Cauvery dispute. The Chief Minister's willingness for holding discussions came in response to a spate of questions at a press conference today whether he was ready to meet Mr. Krishna. However, he did not hide his scepticism about the outcome of such talks by recalling that the Major Irrigation Minister, K. Srihari, had return empty-handed from Bangalore as Karnataka turned down the Andhra Pradesh Government's request on `humanitarian grounds' for releasing 38 tmcft of water from Alamatti dam for drinking purpose. He had another bitter experience when he spoke to the Karnataka Chief Minister on taking up the Tungabhadra High Level Canal jointly as the existing canal was not irrigating the extent of area desired. Instead of reacting positively, the Karnataka Government responded by launching work on the Upper Tunga project and justified it on the ground that it was `re-adjusting' its share of waters under the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal. Expressing disappointment over Karnataka's attitude, he said leaders of that State must remember that "we are all Indians and brothers.'' He said Karnataka would have raised a hue and cry in such a situation if it had been a lower riparian State like Andhra Pradesh. Asked to react to media reports that Karnataka was planning to raise the height of Alamatti dam to 524 metres and was conducting surveys with Maharashtra to determine the areas that would be submerged, the Chief Minister said the Supreme Court had directed that its height should be restricted to 519 m. It even rejected an appeal by Karnataka against this judgment. Mr. Naidu reiterated his stand that the AICC president, Sonia Gandhi, had the moral responsibility to `guide' Mr. S. M. Krishna to be liberal towards Andhra Pradesh. Asked whether he was willing to lead a delegation to Ms. Gandhi, he quipped: "Let the State Congress leaders first admit their inability to convince her on this issue.'' The Chief Minister launched a strong attack on the APCC leaders for `inconsistency and lack of clarity' on the Paragodu controversy with the CLP leader, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, the APCC president, M. Satyanarayana Rao, and the former Chief Minister, N. Janardhana Reddy, issuing mutually contradictory statements. Rejecting the suggestion for convening an all-party meeting on Paragodu, he said that this would not serve any purpose as the task on hand was to enforce the Centre's orders to stop construction of the project.
He defended the action of the Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party in not involving Congress and BJP MPs while submitting memoranda to the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, on the Paragodu controversy.
He said there was no substance in the suggestion of some TDP MPs for withdrawing support to the NDA Government since the Centre had asked Karnataka to stop Paragodu project on May 12 itself.
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