Why Peddavagu takeover, AP asks GRMB

Amaravati: With just two days left for the implementation of the gazette, the GRMB held a meeting with the top irrigation officials of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and sought their views on handing over the projects to the board.

The AP government has asked the GRMB as to why it proposed to take over a single joint project. The AP irrigation officials enquired from the board about the status of other projects when the gazette notification mentioned takeover of all projects.

The AP officials said that the proposal of the board to take over Peddavagu raises doubts as the Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had recently requested the Centre to maintain only joint projects constructed on Godavari and Krishna. The AP suspected some ulterior motives behind taking over only a single project, the official told the board.

Regarding the release of the seed money, the AP government clarified it already gave approval to the release of Rs 8 crore to the GRMB but funds would be released only after the doubts raised by Andhra Pradesh were addressed.

It may be mentioned here that as many as 71 projects were constructed on River Godavari. The board has asked the two States to hand over the joint project – Peddavagu project constructed at Aswaraopet in Bhadradri- Kothagudem district. The project provides irrigation facilities to 13,000 acres in AP and 3,000 acres in Telangana.