TRS urges AP CM to seek Centre's help on Mah projects

Hyderabad, Nov 25 (UNI) Ahead of the all-party meeting here on November 30 to discuss the alleged ''illegal'' construction of Babli and 11 other projects by Maharashtra, the opposition Telangana Rashtra Samiti today urged Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy to seek the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to stop these projects forthwith.

Addressing a press conference here, TRS Lok Sabha member B Vinod and former TRS Minister N Narasimha Reddy said the Chief Minister should utilise his visit to New Delhi to stop these projects across the river Godavari or be ready to face a ''massive agitation'' by the TRS and other opposition parties.

They urged the Centre to immediately constitute a regulatory authority, as directed by the Supreme Court, to determine the utilisation of Godavari waters and projects that were constructed or contemplated not exceeding Maharashtra's share of 60 TMC.

Though the Congress was in power at the Centre and also in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, Dr Reddy was unable to convince the UPA and prevent ''desertification'' of the areas irrigated by the Sriramsagar project in the state, they alleged.

If the 12 projects, including Babli, were allowed to be completed, Maharashtra would be able to utilise 120 TMC water allegedly in violation of the inter-state agreement between the two riparian states and at the cost of peasants in Andhra Pradesh, they claimed.

The Telangana people would teach a ''fitting lesson'' to the Congress for allegedly not protecting the Telangana farmers' interest, the leader said.

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