Date:04/08/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/08/04/stories/2004080402920600.htm

Back Dasmunshi moots farmers' exchange programme

Our Bureau

New Delhi , Aug 3

IF the Water Resource Minister, Mr Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, has his way, farmers from Andhra Pradesh would soon go calling on their counterparts in Karnataka in order to better understand each others' problems.

"I feel that States should organise visits between farmers to get a first hand idea of the problems being faced by each other," Mr Dasmunshi said at the valedictory session of a two-day State water Secretaries conference here on Tuesday.

Such visits by farmers should be followed up by similar visits by legislators and opinion makers like non-government organisations instead of allowing emotive issues to boil and only end up at the doors of the Supreme Court, the Minister said.

Mr Dasmunshi said that the UPA Government would make special efforts to find lasting solutions to water sharing problems.

"The Prime Minister has asked for notes on the deliberations of this conference. We shall forward them to the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday. This shows the level of seriousness with which the Government is approaching the issue," he said.

As a follow-up to his announcement on Monday regarding setting up of a task force on drought and flood control, the Minister said that the committee had already been constituted under the Chairmanship of Central Water Commission Chairman, Dr R. Jayaseelan.