Government not serious about resolving Babhali dam row: Naidu
By IANSMonday, July 26, 2010
NEW DELHI - Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu Monday said the central government was “not serious” about resolving the controversy over the construction of the Babhali dam in Maharashtra, which Andhra Pradesh claims will take away its share of Godavari waters.
Naidu, who is part of the all-party delegation that met Manmohan Singh Monday, said he was not satisfied with the prime minister’s response.
“The response was not at all satisfactory. Despite two meetings, he did not even convene meetings of the concerned persons to sort out the problem,” he told reporters outside the prime minister’s 7 Race Course Road residence.
“The prime minister, Congress and the central government are not serious about resolving the issue,” he added.
The all-party delegation led by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah met the prime minister seeking his intervention in the Babhali dam row.
Andhra Pradesh has been protesting construction of the dam, which it says is being built in violation of the river water sharing agreements and would prove detrimental to its interests.
An all-party meeting had been called by the Andhra Pradesh government last week, but the opposition TDP was not part of it.
The row over the Babhali dam had created tension when Maharashtra Police arrested Naidu and 74 other TDP leaders July 17 while they were proceeding towards the dam. They were kept in judicial custody for four days before being forcibly sent back to Hyderabad by a chartered flight.
