WB loan for Sagar dam unconditional: Minister

Hyderabad, Dec 2 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Major Irrigation Minister P Laxmaiah today said the World Bank had not put forward any conditions to the state government for the Rs 2,200 croreloan for modernisation of Nagarjuna Sagar Dam.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Laxmaiah said the bank had agreed to provide Rs 550 crore each year for the work.

The government accepted the loan after the bank assured that no conditions would be put forward for the loan, he said.

On Opposition parties' charge that the government had decided to bifurcate the Irrigation Department under the bank's condition, he said the bifurcation was part of an internal exercise to achieve high efficiency.

''The government will not succumb to any pressure from the bank,'' he added.

UNI