AP desperate for Centre’s help

Amaravati: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the State government would get into trouble if the Union government did not extend full support to Polavaram irrigation project.

Naidu said the State government would complete the construction of project within two years if the Centre grants funds in time. He said Rs 54,000 crore was needed to complete the mega irrigation project in the world. Replying to a discussion on Polavaram project in the Assembly on Wednesday, the Chief Minister put all the information about the project before the House.

Though Chandrababu Naidu did not make any direct criticism on the Union government, he indirectly hinted that the Centre has been resorting to delaying tactics in release of funds. However, Naidu said the Centre has been responding quickly to the appeals of him.

Naidu said the total estimated cost of the project at 2010-11 was Rs 16,010.45 crore and the State government had spent Rs 7,431.35 crore up to October-end 2017. The balance amount to be given by Centre to AP was Rs 3,102.29 crore, he said.

The Chief Minister said as per revised estimates as on April 1, 2014, the project cost was augmented to Rs 58,319.06 crore. “We submitted the revised estimates to the Centre in this regard,” he said. The Union Cabinet of UPA government had approved (on May 1, 2014) to bear all further expenses on Polavaram project, he added.

Naidu also said the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced special assistance measure for funding Externally Aided Projects (EAPs) and Central funding of remaining cost of irrigation component of Polavaram project assessed as on April 1, 2014.

But the Union Cabinet on March 15, 2017 approved to provide 100 per cent of the remaining cost of the irrigation component only for a period starting from April 1, 2014, he said.

Though the State government wants to speed up the works, Naidu said it would not be possible if the Centre fails to release funds in a timely manner. “I told the same to the Union government officials who visited the project recently. Polavaram cannot be built without the support of the Centre,” the Chief Minister said.

Naidu said works of spill channel and spillway were divided into parts and fresh tenders had been invited to speed up the works. The tenders would be finalised in second week of December, he said. The Chief Minister also said the coffer dam works had been initiated on Wednesday and the government was considering entrusting main dam works to a special contractor.

He criticised the Congress and YSR Congress party for creating hurdles. “Instead of criticising the government, the Congress should have completed the project during its tenure,” he said. Naidu made it clear that the project works were going on in a transparent manner and appealed to all parties to cooperate with the government to get funds from the Centre.