Chandrababu lacks sincerity on Polavaram: YSRCP

Tadepalli, July 17: The YSR Congress Party has strongly criticised Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for making tall claims about the Polavaram project while lacking genuine commitment to providing water to the Rayalaseema region.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, a YSRCP leader stated that the Polavaram–Banakacherla project was not Chandrababu’s idea. It was originally conceived by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. He said the recent meeting in Delhi between Chandrababu and his Telangana counterpart yielded no result, with no official statement or outcome, suggesting it was only a political show.

The leader noted that the project does not have approval from either the Polavaram Project Authority or the Central Water Commission. He alleged that Chandrababu is not focused on completing the project but rather on securing kickbacks through mobilisation advances.

He further pointed out that the project is technically unviable unless the water level is maintained at 42 metres. However, Chandrababu has reportedly agreed with the Centre to reduce the height, undermining the effectiveness of the project.

The YSRCP leader asserted that Chandrababu cannot complete the Polavaram project by 2027, as he has consistently ignored expert advice and is moving forward only for personal financial gain. He recalled that a similar meeting between the chief ministers of the two Telugu states last year, supposedly to resolve inter-state water issues, also produced no tangible results.

He warned that Chandrababu would end up misleading the public on both Amaravati and Polavaram. Only YS Rajasekhar Reddy and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy have truly worked for the development of Rayalaseema, he said. In contrast, Chandrababu visited the HNSS project site only to criticise the YSRCP and its leadership.

On the law and order front, he strongly objected to the police foisting false cases and opening rowdy sheets against citizens simply for attending meetings addressed by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, calling it a clear case of political repression.