Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

No hitch on Devadula project: Naidu

By Our Correspondent

MAHABUBNAGAR MAY 3. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, made it clear today that there was no hitch in taking up Devadula project and it would be completed as per schedule.

Speaking to mediapersons, near Mogulamadka village in Damaragidda mandal, he said there was no dearth of water in the Godavari unlike the Krishna and "we draw water from it by only lifting it.'' Replying to a question, he said some people were making an issue out of a non-issue. There was no dispute as far as Devadula was concerned. Even the Central Government had no objection to take up Devadula, he said. The clearance of the Central Water Commission was only a formality, he said.

Mr. Chandrababu Naidu said that construction of Sangambanda reservoir, which is part of the Bheema Project Phase-I in Mahabubnagar district, would be completed within a year. Funds would be mobilised for the Bheema from sources. He said Rs. 430 crores had been spent so far on the construction of the Jurala Project providing water to 60,000 acres of ayacut under it. Major share of the amount spent on the Jurala project was released only during the 7 1/2 year rule of his Government. The Chief Minister said Rs. 25 crores would be spent to modernise RDS project this year. Kalwakurthy and Nettempadu lift irrigation would be completed at the earliest. About the demand of special package for drought-hit Mahabubnagar district, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu said that during the past seven and a half years of his rule, the Government had spent more than what the previous Governments spent for the development of the district. "Take the figures they would speak the truth,'' he said.

On the TRS proposal to allow the raising of the Alamatti dam to benefit Mahabubnagar district, he said experience in the cases of RDS, Tungabhadra and Paragodu proved that Karnataka was not that generous to release water to Andhra Pradesh from their reservoirs. The TRS leaders went to Karnataka and broached the idea before the Karnataka Government, but they could not bring a drop of water to the State either from the Tungabhadra or the Krishna.

About the opinion of Central leaders on the issue of separate Telangana, the Chief Minister said that their stand was made clear in the past and there was no change now.

He said he could mobilise resources to develop backward regions -- Telangana, Rayalaseema and North Andhra.

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