Hyderabad: Praja Rajyam Party president K
Chiranjeevi today requested the Maharashtra government to
extend an invitation to Andhra Pradesh for a dialogue on the
controversial Babhli irrigation project and allow an all-party
delegation from the state to inspect the site.
In a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan
tonight, Chiranjeevi said Babhli and 13 other irrigation
projects being built over Godavari in violation of the
Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal award and the water-sharing
agreements between the two states would seriously impair the
prospects of irrigation in the north Telangana region.
All political parties and people of Andhra Pradesh,
particularly from the Telangana region, have been expressing
serious concern over this.
"All out efforts to persuade you to consider our concerns
and stop the construction of project went in vain. Also, the
efforts of AP government to have a meaningful dialogue to
resolve the issue amicably did not bear fruit," Chiranjeevi
pointed out.
Finally, the AP government decided to lead an all-party
delegation to the Prime Minister seeking his intervention to
resolve the issue.
Against this backdrop, AP's Leader of Opposition N
Chandrababu Naidu and his party MPs, MLCs and MLAs sought to
inspect the disputed constructions.
"It is extremely unfortunate and highly condemnable that
they were treated sans dignity and even manhandled by the
Maharashtra police. Even the women leaders were ill-treated,"
he said in the letter.
"It goes without saying that unless we treat our people's
representatives with honour, it may strain the relations and
go against the spirit of federalism and national integrity,"
Chiranjeevi said.
"In the larger interests of the people of the two states
and the federal system of our country, we appeal to you to
initiate all necessary measures to stop the questionable
constructions over Babhli and let an inspection of the project
site by an all-party delegation from AP," Chiranjeevi told
Chavan.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, July 21, 2010, 23:44