Polavaram Project: NABARD releases Rs 2,234 crores

Amaravati: A total of Rs 2,234.28 crore has been released for Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) from NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development), water resources department officials said here on Saturday while pointing out that a separate account would be operated for the releases henceforth to ensure that the reimbursement would be used only for the project.

Whether this move to open a separate account is a fallout of BJP Rajya Sabha member from AP, Suresh Prabhu's concern over diversion of funds by state governments for welfare measures is not known. It may be recalled that Suresh Prabhu has recently forwarded a letter from a director of the AP Chamber of Commerce and Industry which cautioned the Centre against misuse of Central funds by the state governments in general.

Suresh Prabhu later followed this up with another letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi too seeking his guidance to the states on the dos' and don'ts to maintain a healthy financial situation.

Out of the earlier tranche of Rs 1,850 crore released by the Centre in February this year, the PPA is said to have taken about Rs 60 crore and remitted the balance to the state exchequer, into an existing account. The Centre has released Rs 8,507 crore so far. Another Rs 1,788 crore is to be released. In three or four days, the funds will be credited to the account.

A few days ago, Andhra Pradesh irrigation minister P Anil Kumar Yadav met Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and requested him to release Polavaram project's reimbursement funds as early as possible. He said Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was carrying out the Polavaram project works even at the time of floods adding the state government was working hard to finish the project by December 2021. Anil Kumar further added that the rehabilitation and resettlement package should be settled soon.