Two key issues should be addressed: Vijayamma

P. SAMUEL JONATHAN

The HinduY.S

Vijayamma, honorary president of YSR Congress, speaking at 'Samara Deeksha' (indefinite fast) in GUntur on Wednesday. Photo: T. Vijaya Kumar

'Andhra Pradesh should remain united if no solution found on water and Hyderabad
A steady trickle of visitors keeps the security men busy. Seated on a makeshift podium, is Y.S Vijayamma, honorary president of the YSR Congress. Waving her hand at the men and women who greet her, she shares her thoughts on the most contentious issue of the division of the State. It has been three days since she had launched indefinite fast here protesting against the proposal to divide the State. The Telanagana issue has pushed the party right into the vortex of a spiralling movement against the decision to split the state spread across the 13 coastal districts of the State. Sixteen MLAs of YSRC have resigned opposing the bifurcation moves. Later, YSRC president Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy and Ms Vijayamma have also resigned. Jagan Babu says he is spending sleepless nights since the Congress has announced its decision on Telangana. He is so concerned that the Centre is playing with the future of the State, Ms Vijayamma told The Hindu on Wednesday. The fasting leader shared her thoughts on two major issues facing the State, water and the status of Hyderabad. A situation should not arise when people in the state should not fight over water in future, she said. She averred that AP would get water only after the needs of Maharashtra are met and the water levels at Alamatti and Narayanpur dams in Karnataka reach to the brim. The States plea, a lower riparian state, for more allocations would only be a plea in wilderness. In this scenario, if a new state was to be carved without changing boundaries, how would Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam get water from? she questioned. Even the Polavaram project, even it has been conferred with national status would meet the same fate as only 13 per cent of Godavari water flows into the project from Sabari in Khammam district.

YSR conceived the idea of Jala Yagnam, a grand vision to irrigate lakhs of parched lands. He worked so hard to get the necessary clearances, secure World Bank funding, but what has the government done now? What is the government doing when the construction of Pulichintala dam is being delayed? she said. On Hyderabad, she said Hyderabad contributes a whopping Rs.90,000 crore of taxes every year to the Union and the State governments. The IT exports from Hyderabad Metropolitan area are close to Rs.90,000 crore. If the money doesnt come through or if it is diverted to build another city, where will we have the money to implement social and welfare schemes? she said. We have been saying all through, if a solution to the problems is not found, the State should be left untouched. One should think why crores of people are agitating on the streets, she ends with a passionate appeal.