Minister offers to quit on project

Hyderabad, Jan 8 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Minister for Major Irrigation Ponnala Lakshmaiah today offered to resign if the Telangana Region was affected due to increase in the capacity of the Pothireddipady Head Regulator as alleged by the Opposition.

Addressing the press here, Mr Lakshmaiah said he was ready for a debate to clear the doubts expressed by Telangana Rastra Samithi President K Chandrasekhara Rao, Telugu Desam Party Leader T Devender Goud and Congress Legislators P Janardhana Reddy and M Sasidhara Reddy on the project.

The government had decided to draw only 44,000 cusecs of water through the project as agreed in the all party-meeting and there would not be any deviation in the design drawn up by the experts.

The Minister said the government was committed to take up the irrigation projects under 'jalayagnam' to bring more land under cultivation,provide drinking water to several areas and for permanent measures to control floods and droughts in the state.

If the ongoing and contemplated projects taken up by the government were completed, the Telangana region would get irrigation water for 1,03,50,958 acre from the existing 47,15,014 acres, Andhra 93,55,511 acre from the present 66,26,486 acre and Rayalaseema 34,56,042 acre from the present 15,39,961 acre.

He alleged the Opposition had no commitment to the development of the state and was trying to obstruct the Jalayagnam.

It wanted to obstruct the work on Pothireddipady Project by hiding the facts to gain political mileage and create differences between the regions.

UNI