Panel to study legal implications of Ichampally project

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, FEB 12 At an all-party meeting held here today on utilisation of Godavari waters, chaired by the Chief Minister, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Government decided to constitute a committee with the Major Irrigation Minister, Mr M. Venkateswara Rao, as convener, and representatives or advocates from all political parties to study the legal implications connected with the Ichampalli project in reference to its two heights -- 95 metres and 112.77 metres, the presently proposed lift scheme, to be based on the French-built anicut at Neelampalli and any other alternative site downstream of Ichampalli for the dam.

The proposal, however, met with an initial setback with the CPI(M), represented at the meeting by its State Secretary, Mr B. V. Raghvulu, and Mr Koratala Satyanarayana, Central Committee member, dubbing it ``redundant'' and announcing its decision not to put any of its men on the panel. The Major Irrigation Minister who expressed surprise at the stand taken by CPI(M) after the meeting, said later that the panel would be formed in two or three days with specific terms of reference.

The feedback from Congress, BJP, Telugu Desam and MIM leaders that attended the meeting along their CPI(M) counterparts was that all of them welcomed the Government option for the 50-tmcft and Rs. 1,450-crore Neelampalli lift scheme pending finalisation of the big dam either at Ichampalli or at any alternative site downstream. Prof S. V. Seshagiri Rao, state BJP vice-president and an authority on Godavari matters, and Mr N. Indrasena Reddy, its Assembly leader, contended that the Government should prove its sincerity by making allocations in the coming budget. Funds could be raised through public bonds as well.

Asked to clarify the "collision" between the BJP units of A.P. and Chattisgarh, Mr Reddy said this issue had cropped up at the time of Alamatti also but their stand was that they would fight for State interests. The reservoir under 95-metre height would submerge only four villages, three of them in Chattisgarh.

Mr Raghavulu criticised the fresh move for constitution of a committee, saying the Government, instead of achieving consensus among political parties on utilisation, was trying to force this responsibility on the Opposition. Mr Asaduddin Owaisi of the MIM demanded at the meeting that the project be executed fast whenever it was taken up.

The meeting which lasted three and half hours, followed discussions within the Government at a similar meeting of the Godavari Waters Utilisation Authority on Sunday. The committee being constituted is going to be the third such panel the first being a high-level committee formed by the Union Government with Ministers and experts, which, according to Andhra Pradesh, had clearly agreed to permit 95-metre height when such a proposal was made by the State at its last meeting, and the second, the Task Force constituted by that high-level committee with Chief Engineers of the three riparian States.

The Major Irrigation Minister said, if necessary, the Government would lead an all-party delegation to Delhi, Chattisgarh and Maharashtra to get clearances for Ichampalli. In contrast to 50 tmcft planned under the lift scheme having six stages of pumping before the canal reaches Akeru, the big dam of Ichampalli with 95-metre height, would ensure utilisation up to 85 tmcft as permitted by the Award at the site. But, if an alternative site was found downstream, such a big dam could be constructed without inter-State implications.

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Section  : Southern States
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