A special task force of MPs from TDP and BJP has been formed to look into water and power sharing issues between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the MPs called by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday to discuss the ways of fulfilling the promises made by the Centre in the AP State Reorganisation Act . The task force assumes importance in the wake of controversy over hydel power generation by Telangana at Srisailam project.
Mr. Naidu wanted the MPs to make all out efforts to ensure that Telangana and Andhra Pradesh got what was promised by the Centre. Special efforts were required to get funds for restoration of infrastructure in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts.
The task force will be headed by Union Minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, while Y.S. Chowdary, Rajya Sabha member, will be the coordinator. Other MPs K. Haribabu and B. Dattatreya (BJP), Thota Narasmhulu and Malla Reddy (TDP) will be the members.
At a press conference later, Mr. Chowdary said the MPs have decided to allot Rs. One crore each from their MPLADS funds for rebuilding the cyclone-hit areas in Andhra Pradesh and Rs. 25 lakh each for Jammu and Kashmir flood relief works. The State government has agreed to release a matching grant.
In all, 26 MPs from the State have agreed to allot funds in this manner, he added. They would also donate their two months salary for cyclone relief.
Talking on Chief Minister’s direction, he said the TDP MPs would visit district and State party offices regularly and accept petitions from people.
A designated officer in the Chief Minister’s office will process these petitions. It was also decided to take the Swach Bharat and Swach Andhra Pradesh campaigns to the mandal level.
Two YSRC MPs, S.P.Y. Reddy and K. Geetha, attended the meeting.
Ms. Geetha later told the media persons that she was not interested in working for her party anymore. She was working for the development of her constituency and the State and that was why she was working closely with the State and Central governments.
