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Thursday, Jun 25, 2009
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Babli: State to file contempt case in Supreme Court against Maharashtra

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Taking a tough stance, the State government has decided to file a contempt of court petition in the Supreme Court against Maharashtra government for violating the court’s direction not to take up construction of the Babli project on the Godavari.

The decision taken at the review meeting on irrigation projects chaired by Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy on Wednesday was disclosed to media persons by Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah.

Mr. Lakshmaiah said that following the government’s objection to the Babli project, particularly the construction of 11 barrages across Godavari as it would adversely affect ayacut under SRSP project in five districts of Telangana, the Supreme Court ordered the Maharasthra government not to construct the gates. But the latter erected the gates in the name of conducting trial runs.

Meanwhile, the Telugu Desam and Praja Rajyam have accused the State government of failing to protect the interests of the State and demanded an all-party meeting to discuss the controversial Babli and 11 other projects taken up by Maharashtra. Separately, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) said the government lacked commitment to take on the Maharashtra government since it failed to mention 14 other projects upstream of Babli in its petition in the Supreme Court. TDP MLAs E. Dayakar Rao, P. Srinivas Reddy and M.Venkateswar Rao, besides party MP Ramesh Rathod, warned that the party would launch a Statewide agitation if the government failed to exert pressure on the Centre. They said four of the14 crest gates of Babli project were erected recently by Maharashtra in violation of the Supreme Court’s directive and inter-State Bachawat Award.

Apart from Babli and 11 other projects taken up earlier, construction of another two barrages was initiated at a cost of Rs. 135 crore. They said a ‘Sriramsagar Bachao Committee’ would be formed involving farmers of Telangana, irrespective of party affiliation, if the government failed to respond to their demand.

PR’s demand

PR legislators Yeravathi Anil and Maheswara Reddy said that since there was little likelihood of stopping Maharashtra, the government should provide 25 tmcft of water to six districts of Telangana through Pranahita-Chevella project.

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