No scope for Sonia for intervening in riparian issue: YSR

Hyderabad, Apr 9 (UNI) Even as the opposition pressed the Andhra Pradesh government to take more serious form of protest against the Maharashtra government for the alleged illegal taking up of the Babli project across the river Godavari, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today maintained that there was no scope for intervention by Congress President Sonia Gandhi on the inter-state riparian issue.

''It is not proper to drag her (Ms Gandhi) into the controversy''.

A solution to the riparian issue could be found only by approaching courts or tribunal as parties cutting across partylines would be united in protecting the interests of the respective states, Dr Reddy said, while replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address.

He met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and ensured holding of a Chief Ministers meeting at the mediation of the Centre and the Maharashtra government had promised to stop the project till the issue was settled with the lower riparian state but went ahead with the project, the Chief Minister said.

Accusing his predecessor N Chandrababu Naidu of failing to prevent Karnataka from increasing the height of the Almatti dam to 519 m to store 130 TMC Krishna waters when the TDP was having a clout with the Deve Gowda government at the Centre, Dr Reddy said the previous government had not even filed a review petition by the Supreme Court on the issue.

He charged the TDP with suffering from 'compartmentalised thinking' for opposing the expansion of the Pothireddypadu head regulator. Without expanding it, how could water be provided to the Telugu Ganga and Galeru Nagari Sujalasravanthi projects, started during the then TDP regime, he asked.

''If the sub-regional TRS opposes it, I can understand. How come the TDP, which should be concerned about the welfare of the entire state, is not taking a proper stand'', he lamented.

The government which had provided irrigation water to 12 lakh acres in the last three years spending Rs 20,202 crore as against just Rs 4,702 crore in the last three years of the previous TDP regime, would provide assured irrigation for 12 lakh acres each year from now.

UNI