Date:06/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/06/stories/2008120654870400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Act on Babli or quit, YSR told

Special Correspondent

State trying to wash its hands of the issue by adopting resolution: Naidu

The barrages will block inflows into SRSP: TDP
State draws flak in Council too on Babli project

HYDERABAD: Leader of the Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday asked Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy to either take proactive steps to stop Babli and 11 other barrages on the Godavari by Maharashtra or quit his post.

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Naidu said the least that Dr. Reddy could do was to join the struggle launched by the Opposition and build pressure on the Centre and the Maharashtra government to stop the works forthwith, as these barrages had the potential to block inflows into Sri Ram Sagar Project affecting 18 lakh acres and turning large parts of Telangana into a desert.

‘Arguments weak’

“The State government is trying to wash its hands of the issue merely by adopting a resolution in the Assembly. All through four-and-a-half years, the government had been sleeping without taking any concrete step to stop Maharashtra from going ahead with the construction.”

The State government’s argument was so weak that the Supreme Court judge had asked the Advocate-General if he was pleading Maharashtra’s case or that of Andhra Pradesh.

Meanwhile, in the Council, the government drew flak from Opposition members who accused it of ‘failure’ to stop Babli and construction of 11 more projects.

The TDP and PDF members staged a walkout.

‘State taking measures’

Mr. Ponnala Laxmaiah, Major Irrigation Minister, said it was not proper for the members to refer to what was said in the chambers of the judge and the government was taking all possible legal measures to stop construction of Babli and other projects on the Godavari that would be against the interests of the State.

The interim order passed by the Supreme Court in favour of Andhra Pradesh itself vindicated that State’s argument was just, the Major Irrigation Minister said.