You take over for a week, Rosaiah tells Naidu

In true filmy style, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Thursday offered his seat to Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu for a week to let the latter resolve the ongoing inter-state dispute over irrigation projects with Maharashtra.

"Why 10 minutes, you can take my chair for a week. I shall be by your side and you resolve the problem," Rosaiah told Naidu during the course of a heated debate on illegal irrigation projects in the state assembly.

He was reacting to Naidu's claim that the dispute with Maharashtra could be resolved in 10 minutes if Rosaiah puts serious efforts.

"Both the state governments are headed by the Congress. So, the chief minister can resolve the dispute in 10 minutes if he is sincere," Naidu remarked.

Rosaiah then made the "week-long" offer.

Naidu, however, said his party was ready to extend all cooperation to the state government to settle the inter-state dispute.

"What we need is a political solution to the problem. The TDP has been fighting relentlessly for the past four years on the Babli and other illegal projects being constructed by Maharashtra government on river Godavari. But the state government did not put in sincere efforts. You can exert pressure on the Prime Minister through your 33 MPs and rein
the Maharashtra government in," Naidu said.

He promised to co-operate with the government in all respects in dealing with not only Maharashtra, but also Karnataka government that raised the height of Almatti dam illegally.

Rosaiah asserted that his government was "very much sincere and determined" to protect the state's interests.

"We will never do anything that is detrimental to the farmers' interests. We are sincerely trying to get the illegal projects by upper riparian states stopped. If the Opposition comes up with constructive suggestions, I will write a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh incorporating those suggestions," he said.