YSR discusses Polavaram project with Soz

New Delhi, July 14 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today met Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz to apprise him of the circumstances under which the state approached the Supreme Court on the Babli project dispute with Maharashtra.

Talking to newspersons about his meeting with the Union Minister, Dr Reddy said Maharashtra had revived work on the project after stopping the work following the directions from the Central Water Commission. ''I requested the Minister to ask the Central Water Commission to inform the Court about the factual position,'' he said.

Requesting the minister to ask the Central Water Commission to expedite the clearance for Polavaram project, he told Prof Soz that the objections from Orissa and Chhattisgarh governments under the 1980 agreement were not tenable as these two states had ''limited option'' either to claim compensation for the submerged land or to ask for an embankment to prevent submergence but had no right to object to the project.

About Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik requesting the Environment Ministry to review the project design, Dr Reddy said ''There is no question of changing Polavaram project.'' In his meeting with Union Shipping Minister T R Baalu, Dr Reddy urged him to expedite the restructuring of Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Vizag, and release immediately all Central assistance.

Andhra Pradesh was willing to reschedule sales tax arrears, he told the minister.

The Union Minister informed that the restructuring was being implemented on a priority basis.

Dr Reddy told Mr Baalu that bridges across River Godavari on NH 202 near Eturunagaram and a bridge in Nizamabad district on NH 16 would help tackle the extremist problem in the State. The Union Minister assured that the bridges will be taken up during the current financial year itself.

Dr Reddy in his meeting with Heavy Industries Minister Santosh Mohan Deb discussed the revival of sick Hindustan Cables Limited and the upgradation of the technology used.

The issue of revival of Vizag-based Bharat Heavy Plates&Vessels Ltd also figured in the meeting. ''We agreed to waive-off all the accumulated S T arrears. AP would provide part of the capital required for its revival by auctioning 150 acres of land given to the unit by the state government. Some petroleum companies were evincing interest in the revival of the company and things will be clear by the end of August this year, he said.

The Chief Minister in his meeting with Home Minister Shivraj Patil discussed the law and order situation in the wake of the Mumbai blasts.

He told Mr Patil that naxalite problem was largely under control.

However, the Union Minister advised Andhra Pradesh to beef up security in the sensitive areas.

There were some sensitive areas in Hyderabad like religious institutions and industrial establishments.

He told the Minister that minorities were not involved in disruptive activities and only people from outside India seemed to be involved in these activities. However, the state was making attempts to use the services of religious and political leaders to sensitise people against giving shelter to such persons.

UNI MCN MSJ VC2002