'We want a judicious solution to the issue. At the same time, we are for an out-of-court settlement as well. But it's a process and dispute resolution will take time,' chief minister K Rosaiah said.
The Andhra Pradesh government today said it has rejected Maharashtra's plea for withdrawal of all the Supreme Court cases on Babhli and other irrigation projects being "illegally" constructed on river Godavari.
"At the meeting with prime minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi yesterday, Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan wanted us to withdraw the cases on Babhli in the Supreme Court, including the contempt of court case. I told him there is no question of withdrawing the cases though we are ready for an out-of-court political solution to the inter-state dispute," chief minister K Rosaiah said.
Talking to reporters in Hyderabad this evening, Rosaiah said his government was "trying both ways" to resolve the dispute over Babhli.
"We want a judicious solution to the issue. At the same time, we are for an out-of-court settlement as well. But it's a process and dispute resolution will take time," he said adding that he was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting with the prime minister.
Rosaiah claimed that Chavan had admitted to installing gates on Babhli barrage in violation of the Supreme Court's interim orders of April 26, 2007. Chavan maintained that Maharashtra was, however, not operating the gates, he said.
"Chavan tried to argue that there is no contempt involved as the Supreme Court - hearing a case filed by Andhra Pradesh ?"has not issued any orders on the petition. But we wanted immediate dismantling of gates installed on the barrage," Rosaiah said.
"Both sides presented their respective arguments before the prime minister. We conveyed our position emphatically and said that Maharashtra went against the directions of the Supreme Court and urged the Centre to constitute a strong controlling authority for resolving inter-state disputes. Chavan, on his part, said he too had his political compulsions in Maharashtra on the issue," Rosaiah said.
Andhra Pradesh also succeeded in getting a directive issued to Maharashtra for furnishing all information through the Central Water Commission with respect to utilisation of Godavari river water under Section 9-A of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, he said.
Union water resources minister Pawan Kumar Bansal will soon convene a meeting with irrigation ministers of both states to resolve the issue, he said.
On TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu's criticism that he had mortgaged the state's interests on the issue, Rosaiah said, "I have no knowledge about the mortgage business or the age to mortgage anything. I have no ambition to become the prime minister of the country for which I need to compromise with Maharashtra to help me in future. I will neither mortgage myself nor the state."
It is unbecoming of Naidu to talk "mischievously" on such sensitive issues, he said.
To a query, Rosaiah said he would not seek AICC chief Sonia Gandhi's intervention for resolution of the inter-state dispute.
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