Oppn politicising Pothireddypadu expansion: Cong

Hyderabad, Jan 10 (UNI) The ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh today alleged the main Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) were politicising the government's plan to expand Pothireddypadu Head Regulator Project which would benefit drought-prone areas in Telangana and Rayalaseema regions besides meeting drinking water needs of Chennai and Hyderabad.

TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu was pursuing ''opportunitic politics'' by opposing the expansion of the project which the brainchild of Former Chief Minister N T Rama Rao, APCC Spokesmen N Thulsi Reddy and P Venkata Rao and Party Farmers Wing Leader Kodand Reddy told a press conference here.

Taking objection to unparliamentary languague used by TRS Founder President K Chandrasekara Rao against Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, they said the TRS leader was very much a Minister when the Telugu Ganga project was started by the N T Rama Rao Government. It would be better on his part to observe restraint, they added.

Pointing out River Krishna yielded 400 to 4000 tmcft of flood water in the last 75 of 100 years, they said four other projects aimed at utilising flood waters were under construction to benefit both Telangana and Rayalaseema regions.

Allaying the fears of the public, they said drinking water would be first provided to Hyderabad and Chennai. Power generation and irrigation to Krishna Delta and Nagarjunasagar Command Areas would come next. Later, the water can be used to irrigate lands in Rayalaseema and Telangana.

UNI