Hyderabad, April 17: Reiterating that the Chandrababau Naidu
government has taken over the Polavaram project with an eye on kickbacks, YSR
Congress has said that the state must categorically specify the amount agreed
by the Centre for the national project.
Speaking to reporters here on Monday party
spokesperson K Parthasarathi said: ‘the state has been time and again telling
that the revised estimate of the project is Rs 40,000 crores while the amount
does not match to the Centre’s estimates.
The Centre has very specifically said that it would pay only
as per the 2013 estimate which accounts for Rs 16,0000 crores and deduct the
amount spent so far from it.
The State on the other hand has been telling that the
project cost is Rs 40,000 and it is high time that Chandrababu Naidu come out
with the facts and figures as to how much the Centre would be paying instead of
resorting to criticism of Leader of Opposition time and again,’ he said.
The State after taking over the project has retained the
blacklisted company with questionable credentials and has been negotiating
directly with sub-contractors as well with an eye on kickbacks, he said.
The irrigation minister makes tall claims but he could not
provide water to the Krishna delta even and he along with Chief Minister was
known to take steps to stall the Polavaram project by mounting pressure on the
neighbouring states and local farmers when YSR was the Chief Minister, he said.
Though a dalit woman minister was ranked as topper in the
cabinet she was shunted out and the irrigation minister was not shifted as he
was well versed with the settlements with contractors and the dealings in
irrigation projects, he said.
‘YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has always been with the people and
advocated for people’s cause unlike the Chief Minister and his cabinet
colleagues who are more interested in kickbacks.
The state should also make it clear as to how much funding
the Centre is giving for Polavaram project as per the revised estimates and
whether or not it matches our expectations, he said.
Reject anti-welfare forces: CM
