M A I N   N E W S

Sheila Dikshit, Dhumal blame each other
Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 11
Mrs Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi, today said Delhi was keen on carrying water from the Renuka in Sirmaur district and investing in hydroelectric projects in Himachal Pradesh, but the response of the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, had been cold on these issue.

She said the Delhi Government would consider lifting tax reportedly reimposed on fruit growers of Himachal Pradesh in the Azadpur market. The matter had been brought to her notice by the CLP Leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh, she said.

Mrs Dikshit, who was talking to mediapersons here today, said Mr Dhumal never found time to discuss these issues with her whenever he came to Delhi.

She said the Delhi Government could go on dumping money in the Renuka project without getting the dispute settled. The Delhi Government, Himachal, the Water Commission and the Centre should sit together to sort out the issues.

Mrs Dikshit said the issues of the Renuka dam and investment in hydel projects was also discussed at the meeting of the Inter-State Council. Carrying of drinking water to Delhi from the Renuka was under consideration for the past about 20 years. But now Delhi was not as short of water as Shimla.

The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, expressing surprise over the statement of Mrs Dikshit, said she was, perhaps, not aware of the facts on the Renuka dam. The agreement for constructing the dam was signed about a decade ago according to which the Delhi Government was to construct the dam to carry water and the entire amount of over Rs 1,000 crore was to be spent by the Delhi Government. Himachal’s role — to construct a powerhouse — would come only after construction of the dam.

He reiterated that the Delhi Government should start work on the Renuka project at once and invite Himachal for talks. Such “irresponsible” statements did not behove a senior leader like Mrs Dikshit, who, he alleged, was trying to divert the attention of the people from the infighting in the Congress.