CM lays stone for Godavari lift irrigation scheme

By M. Malleswara Rao

DEVADULA (WARANGAL dt.), JUNE 16. The Chief Minister, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Saturday laid the foundation-stone for a lift irrigation project to use 50 tmcft of Godavari waters to irrigate 5 lakh acres in four backward districts of Telangana region.

Mr. Naidu and his entourage of two Union Ministers, nine Ministers belonging to these districts and irrigation officials flew in here by four helicopters, and performed bhoomi puja at the designated muhurtham, 11.42 a.m. They later visited the Godavari, which was in spate and Mr Naidu expressed anguish at the enormous quantity of water going waste without doing any benefit to the area.

Invitation was extended to all political parties but only the BJP was present, represented by the Union Ministers of State for Urban Development and Home, Messrs B. Dattatreya and Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, and one MLA, Mr M. Dharma Rao, while the Communist parties and the MIM abstained. The Mulug Congress MLA attended in his ``individual capacity.''

Anti-naxalite squads took over the area days in advance, positioning themselves at vulnerable points along the 40-km stretch from Eturu Nagaram, to facilitate movement of officials. The ceremony became a media event with the national press descending on the scene and scribes had to cross several forest streams, with camera equipment on shoulders, to reach the site.

The Chief Minister stressed the need to harness the mighty river for the benefit of Telangana. For immediate works, money would be allotted out of the Rs. 50 crores provided for the Godavari Utilisation Authority. If necessary, special bonds would be floated and World Bank aid tapped at a later stage. The Government would meet all yearly maintenance cost of the project, estimated at Rs 350 crores, without casting any burden on the farmers.

Mr Naidu sought to dispel fears expressed by some about Inchampalli becoming a non-entity because of the lift irrigation project. While Maharashtra consented to the Inchampalli dam height of 95 metres, Chattisgarh, the other riparian State, sought review of the Godavari Water Tribunal Award. The Lift Irrigation scheme costs Rs 1,800 crores. The canal runs for a length of 147 km, of which 50 km will be through 14 stages of pumpsets and the rest by gravity. The existing tanks are being used as balancing reservoirs.

Mr Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, Union Minister of State, thanked the Chief Minister on behalf of his party, for taking such a massive initiative. Those present included the Ministers Mr M. Venkateswara Rao, Mr T. Devender Goud, Mr K. Srihari, Mr E. Peddi Reddy, and Mrs A. Uma Madhava Reddy, the Irrigation Secretary, Mr C. V. S.K. Sarma, and the Chief Engineer for the Sriramsagar Project, Mr S. Maruti.

Naxals open fire on bus

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JUNE 16. Activists of the People's War Group opened fire on a bus carrying people to the Chief Minister's public meeting in Warangal town, near Kothaguda village on the borders of Warangal and Khammam. There were no casualties.

According to reports reaching here, the passengers got off the bus and began chasing the naxalites who beat a hasty retreat into the forest. The bus tyres were deflated in the firing. Subsequently the RTC authorities sent spare buses and picked up the passengers.

Meanwhile a police statement said the response to the Chief Minister's meeting in Warangal town was indication that the PWG could not go against people's will and sentiments at any time. ``Just because they have militarised themselves and have weapons, they can now cow down the entire society in a democratic set-up. Such acts will further isolate them from the public and reduce further their influence in society,'' the statement added.

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