HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has said that political parties, especially the Telugu Desam, want to stop Polavaram project as "political existence will be difficult for them otherwise."

Speaking to reporters soon after the all-party meeting on Polavaram here on Friday, Dr. Reddy folded his hands to appeal to the political parties to "think of State's interest" and not to thwart the projects' execution.

"The Telugu Desam Party will, perhaps, be happy only if the entire Godavari water goes waste into the sea. A quantity of 6,081 tmcft joined the sea from the river in 1994-95 and 3,442 tmcft in 2005-06."

The CPI(M), on the contrary, sought stoppage of Polavaram on a different count. "Khammam district is its stronghold which accounts for tribals to be displaced by the project," he surmised. The Polavaram, if completed, would mar its political fortunes, he contended.

On the outcome of the meeting, Dr. Reddy thanked CPI(M) secretary B.V. Raghavulu for remaining deceptively silent on his charge that Rs.1,000 crores changed hands regarding the irrigation tenders.

He complimented TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu and a Telugu newspaper for following Mr. Raghavulu sincerely on this score. "Mr. Raghavulu has successfully removed a massive tumour from my stomach in a bloodless surgery, the tumour being Rs. 1,000 crores," he said.

The Chief Minister ridiculed T. Devender Goud of the TDP for his proposal to undertake padayatra from Adilabad for Pranahita-Chevella project, a project conceived by his Government, now.

Jalayagnam programme

He said his Jalayagnam programme was being implemented on such a mission mode that the entire nation was looking towards Andhra Pradesh with appreciation.

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