TDP leaders resent lack of consensus in Cong.

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, MAY 26

The Mines and Geology Minister, Ms A. Uma Madhava Reddy, and two Telugu Desam MPs, Mr G. Sukhender Reddy and Mr S. Venugopalachary, representing Nalgonda and Adilabad, have come down heavily on the Congress-I party for having two opinions on a single issue like Pulichintala, while being a national party, and called the Telangana Rashtra Samiti of Mr K. Chandrasekhara Rao a pack of "dissidents" coming together from different political parties.

At a press conference here on Saturday, they found fault with the Congress "waxing eloquent" on Telangana development after doing pretty little while in power during 1989-1994. It was NTR who first took the initiative for different projects meant for this backward region, they said, referring to the foundation-stone laid by him for Srisailam Left Bank Canal, now named after Madhava Reddy, and the spending of Rs 60 crores by his Government while it was only Rs 9 crores during the 1999-94 Congress period. Compared to this, the present Government headed by Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, allocated Rs 410 crores so far against which payments were made to a record extent of Rs 345 crores.

Mrs Uma Madhava Reddy and Mr Sukhender Reddy condemned the way the four Congress MLA belonging to Naglonda district, behaved the other day at Pulichinatla project site, tearing off records and throwing material into the river. "Only rowdies would have done like that to get their things done". They said, the Congress, being a national party, should have consensus on any issue. But, in case of Pulichintala, one group within the party opposed it while another demanded its immediate execution. The attitude of the party in other States like Karnataka was also same where there were divisions over local issues.

Instead of evolving a consensus on Pulichintala, the Congress leadership was trying to whip up regional feelings which, in fact, would impede the regions's development, they regretted. In this context, they recalled how several Congress leaders in the past, including Dr Channa Reddy, had "backstabbed" the Telangana people.

They justified Pulichintala on the ground that it would do justice to Telangana by greatly relieving Nagarjunasagar of its present stress in relation to its commitment to Krishna delta, by saving flood waters in the reservoir contemplated. As a result, the Madhava Rao Canal would get assured waters and not surplus waters which would be undependable. "As a farmer", Mr Sukhender Reddy contended that it would not be possible for farmers in the Krishna delta to raise three crops in a year as alleged. He also dubbed "wishful thinking" the statement issued by the four Congress legislators and TRS that the project would submerge 356 villages and restricted the number to 12.

Mrs Uma Madhava Reddy and Mr Sukhender Reddy said the Madhava Reddy Canal was completed to the extent of 93 per cent with Rs 500 crores spent so far, against its latest revised cost put at Rs 1,250 crores. The 1,470-metre tunnel which would draw Nagarjunasagar water for the canal, would be ready by July 31. One of the four pumpsets, supplied and being installed by BHEL, would be ready shortly to squeeze water at 600-cusecs capacity into the cistern developed on the hills from where the canal would flow by gravitation. By September, the project would be in a position to release water for about 35,000 acres in Nalgonda district as against its final target of 3 lakh acres.

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Section  : Southern States
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