Naidu blames Jagan for posing fresh complications for Polavaram

Polavaram (Eluru Dist): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday inspected the pending works at the multi-purpose Polavaram project site and declared that a comprehensive study has to be made on how much is required to revive and complete the project in a timely manner.

Accompanied by Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu, the Chief Minister during his first visit after assuming power after a gap of five years, undertook an aerial survey of the project site including the spillway and later on-the-spot inspection of the ongoing work. He visited a photo exhibition, reviewed various pending works like diaphragm wall, spillway, coffer dam and other components with the officials and later interacted with the media.

Squarely blaming his predecessor YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for inflicting irreparable damage to the long-delayed project leading to huge escalation of the project cost, he said had they (YSRCP Government) not resort to reverse tenders, the project’s first phase would have been completed by the end of 2020. “Instead of expediting the project, Jagan has complicated everything with his maverick decisions. We have to find ways and means on how to complete the project in a record time,” he said. Earlier, the Naidu Government decided to observe every Monday as Polavaram Day so as to take stock of the progress of the project.

Jagan Mohan Reddy during his last meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sought release of Rs17,144 crore to complete the first phase of the project stating that the Ministry of Finance had already accorded in-principle clearance to release Rs12,911 crore by removing component-wise ceiling on funding. The erstwhile government had blamed the TDP rule during 2014-19 for damaging diaphragm wall entailing a huge burden of Rs 2,000 crore on the project cost.

Polavaram project has been granted as a national project as part of a promise made at the time of bifurcation. The project is being built on the River Godavari to provide irrigation to 4.3 lakh acres, drinking water to 30 lakh people in 611 villages and generate 960 MW of hydropower. The project is also envisaged to divert 80 TMC of water to the Krishna River. The project infrastructure will come up in Eluru and East Godavari districts.