Centre urged to take up AP irrigation projects in 11th plan

Vijayawada, Feb 10 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Integrated Irrigation Development Committee General Secretary and All India Kisan Sabha Vice-President K Nageswara Rao today urged the Centre to recognise the Polavaram, Dummugudem-Nagarjuna Sagar Link, Pranahita-Chevella, Kalvakurthi, Potireddy Padu and Veligonda irrigataion projects as national projects and take it up in the 11th five-year plan.

Refering to the Centre's decision to declare 14 river projects as national assets, for which 90 per cent funds would be provided by the Centre and the remaining would be borne by the States concerned, he told newspersons here that not a single project was included from the State in the list of national projects.

Mr Rao blamed the stand of Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz that the neighbouring states had filed petitions in the Supreme Court against the projects and the issue was before the Tribunal, and so it could only be considered in the 12th plan after the settlement of the cases.

The State Government had started about 60 irrigation projects at a cost of Rs one lakh crore, he said, adding that the Centre should take the initiative to solve the disputes between the States for the early implementation of the projects in the 11th plan itself.

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