(Attn: Hyd/Mum/BLR)

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Apr 7 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today asked TDP Chief and his predecessor Chandrababu Naidu to apologise to people of the state for letting down the state's interests in Alamatti while attempting to find fault with the state government in Babli upstream project in Maharashtra.

Dr Reddy, who was here to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi on 'illegal Babli project' on Godavari river, told newspersons that the Leader of the Opposition was undertaking the 'Chaitanya Yatra' to awaken the people of the state to the government's inaction. While it was good to keep the people educated, it was not good to confuse them with 'lies and untruths', he remarked.

He said it was Opposition Congress which had woken the then TDP from its 'Kumbhakarna slumber' when Karnataka increased its Alamatti storage capacity in Krishna river from 60 tmc to 130 tmc. It was only after Congress passed its resolution, that the government acted, he said refuting Mr Naidu's claim that it was he who had restricted Alamatti's height by pressing the Centre to constitute a panel of five United Front Chief Ministers.

Dr Reddy, who met Prime Minister along with state Irrigation Minister P Lakshmaiah for thanking to send official Central Water Commission team to visit Babli project, said that the Prime Minister promised to protect the interests of Andhra after going through the CWC report. The Prime Minister had praised the progress achieved in executing irrigation projects by the state for showing the way to other states. The state sought early technical clearance from the CWC and Tribal Welfare Ministry for the Indira Sagar Project to benefit seven districts.

The delegation said the state was happy that the Centre found Andhra Pradesh worthy of receiving Rs 867 crore under ccelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme while the total disbursement in the country was Rs 2,500 crore.

He said AP thanked Mr Singh for clearing Kakinada refinery project and requested him to provide bonus money for the farmers for producing paddy besides minimum support price to retain their interest to grow rice and not switch over to other crops.

Dr Reddy said he had called on Congress president Sonia Gandhi to apprise her of the latest political and administrative developments but was not willing to give out details as it was not fair to ask or answer about the discussions taking place between him and the party chief. "If there is anything to be known, I myself will tell you," He added.

UNI

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