Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Minister for Water Resources P Anil Kumar Yadav criticised the TDP for making false statements that the Polavaram project construction was stopped by the YSRCP government.
Speaking to the media on Monday, the Minister said that the TDP leaders were spreading canards against the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government and said that the work will commence from November once the floods have abated.
Anil Kumar lashed out the TDP leaders saying that how can anyone take up construction works with present floods situation in Godavari, which will continue till the end of October. He said that a section of media favourable to them was spreading these falsities about the project.
In the meantime the State government would sort out various irregularities done in the execution of the project during the TDP regime. He also said that tenders for the balance works of Polavaram project will be called at the old price in a transparent manner by mid-September, and the works will be started by November. The whole endeavour was to try and reduce the cost as much as possible, he said. A detailed note would be submitted to the Union Ministry of Water Resources soon and at the same time measures were being taken to get the pending funds from the Centre, he explained.
He scoffed at the TDP Chief and Opposition Leader Chandrababu Naidu's claims that they had almost completed the Polavaram project. The Minister said that the TDP government did nothing for the Polavaram project even after three years of forming the government. In fact, 70 % of the works including the clearances for the project and most of the land acquisition were done in 2007 when late Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy was the chief minister, he explained. Unfortunately, he passed away at the time when the head works were reaching a completion stage.
All they (TDP) did was to construct some semi-finished spillway and cofferdam at a cost of Rs 100 crore. He also revealed that in the name of inaugurations and advertisements Chandrababu spent more than RS 200 crore.Over all more than RS 3000 crore was spent on the Polavaram project by the TDP, he fired
He also fired at the TDP for awarding works on nomination basis to Navayuga Engineering Constructions itself was illegal. Without terminating the OPC contract with Transstroy how can they award the contract to Navauga, Anil Kumar questioned.
Navayuga was only awarded the labour contract and not just that, had they not swindled Rs 787.20 crore in that name of building centre for hydel energy, he asked.
The minister also found fault with the previous TDP government for failing to rehabilitate and resettle the people who were in danger of submergence due to the construction of cofferdam. If they had done it then the 33 villages upstream Polavaram would not have cut off from the rest of the world during floods, he said Because of the TDP government the people today had to suffer and now they start sermonizing us, he quipped.
The State government on Monday appointed a special officer for Polavaram project especially to focus on the grievances of the Polavaram displaced families. Anand O (IAS, 2016), who has been working as Sub-Collector in Gudur of Nellore district, was transferred and posted as Special Officer, Polavaram Irrigation Project.
The Minister clearly stated that the Polavaram project construction would resume from November 1st.
A Peep Into CM Jagan’s Heart Of Gold!
