Chandrababu lacks sincerity on Polavaram, says Buggana

Vijayawada: Former Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy criticised the TDP-led coalition government for “spreading lies” on Polavaram irrigation project issue and said if Amaravati takes preference over the national project, then it is a very bad sign.

Speaking to media in Hyderabad on Monday, he said that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government had undone the mistakes committed by the TDP during 2014 to 2019 and it is time for the Chandrababu Naidu government not to compromise on the Polavaram project.

The TDP government has committed a blunder by accepting to the old rates of 2010 -11 covering only the irrigation component despite the spike in costs and the increase in the number of displaced persons and also not covering the drinking water component en route.

“After Jagan Mohan Reddy assumed office, we could undo the mistakes by our relentless efforts and if Covid did not happen, the project would have been completed. The project, which actually took off during YS Rajsekhar Reddy’s tenure, was neglected by Chandrababu Naidu with his Pattiseema misadventure,” he said.

He said Pattiseema was nothing but the right bank canal as envisioned by Dr Rajasekhara Reddy adding that in Polavaram, water flows by gravity instead of lift. Rajendranath Reddy said the state did not object to the recent decision of the Centre on height of the Polavaram and the TDP has been blatantly telling lies.He read out the correspondence on matters related to height reduction from 45.72 metre to 41.5 metre, the irrigation and other components, and the confusion created by the present government.

On Pawan Kalyan’s comments, he said the Deputy Chief Minister is part of the government which means he is questioning his own government.