High level meeting scheduled today in Delhi to discuss on revised estimates on Polavaram

A meeting is scheduled in Delhi on Monday to discuss DPR‌ -2 issues related to the Polavaram project. The matter of approval of the new DPR for 2017-18 prices has been pending at the Centre for months. Polavaram bills are coming back and there is a funding problem as the new prices are not approved. Chief Minister Jagan, who visited Delhi three days ago, asked Jal Shakti Minister Shekhawat to take action on the Polavaram DPR. In this context, the meeting will be held on Monday as per the instructions received from the Union Minister.

Against this backdrop, Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh Government Adityanath Das, Water Resources Secretary Shyamala Rao, ENC C. Narayana Reddy, Polavaram CE Sudhakar Babu and others went to Delhi. Union Water Resources Secretary Pankaj Kumar, Polavaram Authority CEO Chandrasekhar Iyer, Central Water Board Chairman Haldar and others will be present at the meeting. The Polavaram Authority recently said that they have asked for answers to some questions on DPR-‌2.

However, Water Resources Department officials said that the answers to those questions have already been sent and there is no information to be provided by the state about DPR‌-2. The technical advisory committee has sanctioned Rs 55,656 crore for Polavaram DPR-2. The Revised Cost Committee later approved a cut of Rs 47,725 crore. The state government and the authorities want the investment sanction of only Rs 55,656 crore.