The East Godavari district planning committee meet, conducted for the second time, witnessed heated arguments between minister Gollapalli Surya Rao and East Godavari Telugu Desam president and local bodies MLC Nimmakayala Chinarajappa on Sunday. The trouble started when the issue of supply of protected water in rural areas was being discussed at the East Godavari zilla parishad meeting hall. Addressing the chair, Mr Chinarajappa said that there was drinking water shortage in Allavaram constituency represented by the minister and stated that supplies were inadequate due to the closure of canals. He sought an enquiry by district authorities. Irked by the disclosure, Mr Surya Rao commented that he had cross checked the issue only a day before. The minister also comme-nted that such an issue was there in Uppalaguptam ma-ndal. "If you cannot give good governance at the ma-ndal level and meet the needs of people, it is better that you go out of the mandal," the minister said. Incidentally, Mr Rajappa's wife is the president of the Uppalaguptam mandal praja parishad which falls under Allavaram constituency. Enraged by the comments of the minister, Mr Rajappa challenged that there was drinking water shortage in the area and he would tender his resignati-on if proved incorrect. Yellavaram Telugu Desam MLA Chinnam Babu Ramesh said that Mr Surya Rao was adopting unparliamentary language. Intervening in the discussion, collector Mr Gopala Krishna Dwivedi assured to enquire into the issue. Participating in the discussion, Sampara MLA Anisetty Bullabbai Reddy said that water was being supplied to two industrial units in Kakinada rural area from the Samarlakota reservoir and a peoples' representative was helping out his kin to divert water for commercial purposes. The concerned superintending engineer (public health) from Rajahmudry was summoned to the house on the issue. The official clarified that the two industrial houses had permission for getting water directly. Mr Dwivedi assured to conduct an enquiry into the issue of diversion of water for commercial purposes. Earlier, the house accepted the formation of six sub committees with five members each for effective mo-nitoring of functioning of the district planning committees. Zilla parishad chai-rman, Mr Ch. Venu Gop-alakrishna, presided over the meet. State Minister P. Subash Chandra Bose, Rajahmudry MP Undavalli Arun Kumar also spoke.