Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Union of Southern States mooted

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD May 21. As inter-State disputes over various issues, including river water sharing, become the order of the day, a meeting of the standing committee of the southern zonal council has come out with an interesting idea to solve the pending problems between different Southern States.

The standing committee comprising the Chief Secretaries and other senior officials of five Southern States which met here on Wednesday mooted the formation of a "Economic Union of Southern States'' on the lines of the European Union to ensure cooperation and coordination among the States on different economic and other issues.

Briefing reporters about the proceedings of the fifth meeting of the standing committee, Dr. Muralikrishna, secretary of the General Administration Department, said that the participants mooted the formation of a union of Southern States after a detailed discussion on common issues like taxation, subsidies and others.

Mr Muralikrishna said that the meeting discussed several issues of regional and inter-State importance including prevention of inter-State crime, export promotion measures, horticulture and tourism promotion. There was a general agreement among the participants on the need for a more closer inter-State coordination. It was also decided that the regional coordination committee comprising DGPs of southern States would meet at least once a quarter to tackle the law and order problems.

Detailed discussions with regard to inter-State disputes relating to various hydro-electric projects was also taken up ad they were already the subject matter of consideration at higher political levels, he added.

The meeting was chaired by Laxmi Pranesh, chief secretary of Tamil Nadu, and was attended among others by Mohan Kanda, chief secretary of Andhra Pradesh, R. Padmanabhan, chief secretary of Pondicherry, Babu Jacob, additional chief secretary of Kerala and J.P Sharma, additional chief secretary of Karnataka.

`Karnataka examining Paragodu issue'

Meanwhile, the concern expressed by Andhra Pradesh over the construction of an anicut over Chitravati river at Paragodu in Anantapur district by the Karnataka Government notwithstanding, the Government of the neighbouring State is still examining the Central Government's directive to stop construction of the anicut.

Defending the stand taken by the Karnataka Government on the issue, J.P Sharma, the additional chief secretary of Karnataka, told reporters in an informal chat on Wednesday that the Karnataka Government is examining the issue since the Centre had requested it to stop the construction.

It may be recalled that the State Government had expressed serious concern over the construction of the anicut by the neighbouring State as it would deprive drinking and irrigation water to several mandals in Anantapur district. A delegation of senior officials from the State headed by the Minister for Major Irrigation, Kadiam Srihari, conveyed the State Government's stand on the issue to the Centre following which the Centre had directed Karnataka to halt the construction.

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