Invite AP govt to inspect Babhli dam: Chiranjeevi

Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi on Wednesday 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 on Wednesday night, 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.