Date:12/09/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/09/12/stories/2007091256600300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

TDP poser to Chief Minister

Staff Reporter

Party leader seeks to know position of ‘unfulfilled promises’

Demand to declare some mandals of Adilabad district as drought-hit
‘Compensation for submerged lands under SRSP pending for long’

ADILABAD: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has issued a questionnaire to Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy to be answered during his visit to Adilabad district on Wednesday. Party spokesman S. Venugopalachary also demanded declaration of some mandals in the district as drought-hit. At a press conference on Tuesday, Mr. Venugopalachary reminded the Chief Minister of the promises he had made before elections and during his several visits subsequently in the post.

Water diverted

He wanted to know why the promise regarding compensation for submerged lands under the Sri Ram Sagar Project (SRSP) pending for so long and why water from the SRSP was not irrigating the 75,000 acres in Luxettipet mandal as promised, instead of the water being diverted to National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC). Among the other posers that the TDP leader put were on the proposed diversion of 2 tmcft of Pranahita water to Hyderabad for drinking purpose instead of irrigating 1.5 lakh acres in Asifabad as promised, why the contract value of Rs. 4.5 crore per km of work on the flood flow canal at SRSP was increased to Rs. 14.5 crore per km, why the lower Penganga project was still in limbo despite a promise of starting works in April-May last year.

Mr. Venugopalachary also pointed out the lapses of the Government in allowing Gammon India Limited to continue construction work on the Jagannathpur diversion scheme though the concerned Chief Engineer had ordered stopping of work in the past when the diaphragm had collapsed twice. Telugu Mahila president G. Sujata and others were present.