Will complete Polavaram in time

Hyderabad/Vijayawada: Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday denied that the Centre was releasing funds in fits and starts for the Polavaram project and that it was as keen as the AP government is, in completing it by 2018. Speaking to media-persons at Delhi, the Union minister said he had left instructions to his staff to clear the bills for expenditure incurred on Polavaram from the AP government as and when they are presented. “There are no bills pending before the Centre for clearance,” he said.

The Union minister said he was keen that the project's coffer dam should be completed by 2018 and water is released under gravity and complete the first phase by 2019. According to sources, Gadkari's latest statement is intended to not only to send the message that the Centre would not remain blind to how the state was spending funds and at the same time not let the people get the impression that Centre was stalling the project. His repeated assertions that the project would be completed before 2018 are only to allay the fears of the people that it may take longer for completion of the first phase.

The Union minister, by once again announcing his schedule that he would visit Polavaram on December 22, appears to have sent a message that the Centre wants the projected completed but under its watchful eyes.
The earlier practice has been that the state would periodically submit bills for the expenditure incurred and the Centre at its own will used to clear them.

According to sources, the Centre has begun showing interest in the project in the wake of the allegations of the YSRCP that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu took over the responsibility of the construction of the national project only to line his pockets with commissions paid by the contractors.

In fact, Naidu flew off the handle in the Assembly when the Centre had raised objection to a technical issue on publication of a tender notice for awarding portion of work of project on its site and said he was exercising restraint even in the face of unhelpful attitude of the Centre and that if the Centre so wanted, it could take over the responsibility of the completion of the project.

Meanwhile, Naidu, during his visit to Polavaram on Monday, warned the YSRCP against trying to derail the project. "If it continued obstructing the project, people would teach a fitting lesson to YS Jaganmohan Reddy," he said. Naidu reminded that it was the Centre which should pick up the bill for rehabilitation and resettlement of the people about to be displaced. The R and R package estimate has gone up by eleven times because of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. "The state has to pay Rs 17 lakh to Rs 18 lakh to each of 95,818 families to be affected by the project," he said.