Polavaram Project in Complete Mess: Chandrababu

KAKINADA: Telugu Desam chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu has alleged that the Polavaram project is “in a complete mess” due to the “neglect and ineptitude” of the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led state government.

Naidu visited Polavaram project on Monday and gave a powerpoint presentation on the project, comparing the work done during the terms of the Telugu Desam and YSRC governments.

He told the media at the middle point of the Upper Cofferdam of the project that the YSRC government completely neglected the project for 18 months after its assumption of office in 2019. “This resulted in damage to the diaphragm wall due to the influx of 22 lakhs cusecs of water.”

“The TD government had completed 72 per cent of the project works by spending '11,537 crore and planned to construct the project up to 45.72 metres. It made a revised estimate of '55,504 crore. But the YSRC government, thereafter, did only 4 per cent of the work and plotted to reduce the project to 41.5 metres.”

Naidu said,"That too, when the central government released funds for the works already done during the term of the TD government."

“When the TD exited from power, there existed some gaps in the project. These gaps should have been filled to protect the already completed construction. But, the YSRC government neglected the project for 18 months without filling the gaps in the works. Meanwhile, the diaphragm wall has been damaged.”

“But the YSRC ministers are blaming the previous TD government rather than admitting their own inability and inefficiency and the inability to make use of technology,” the TD chief alleged.

He said that the present government did not have any understanding of the project and how it should be executed. “Even if the TD comes back to power in 2024, we will not be in a position to rectify the errors in the work at this late hour. Chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has proven to be a traitor to the people of Andhra Pradesh who gave him a huge mandate.”

Naidu said that he made the project have a tourism potential too. Many farmers visited the project. But Jagan Mohan Reddy turned the project into a “prohibited’’ project.

The former CM denied the YSRC charge that he had, on his own, volunteered to take over the responsibility of implementing the national irrigation project from the central government. "Rather, a committee of experts had suggested that I, as an efficient leader, should take up implementation of the project. The Union Cabinet then approved the proposal and handed the Polavaram project over to the state government,” Naidu claimed.

The TD chief said there was no problem to Odisha state due to the Polavaram project.  Former irrigation minister Devineni Umamaheswara, MLAs Buchaiah Chowdary, Nimmala Ramanaidu and others were present.