Andhra Pradesh: Ambati counters Naidu on Polavaram delay, damage

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, he recalled what he called historic mistakes Chandrababu had made with regard to the project during his previous stint as the chief minister of AP.

Rambabu advised Naidu not to repeat the old mistakes but pressurise the NDA government at the centre to fund the Polavaram project, get special category status for AP and fulfil all promises made at the time of bifurcating the state.

The former minister maintained that the project had made rapid progress during Jagan's tenure. He described as lies Chandrababu’s statements while visiting Polavaram five days after taking oath.

Rambabu pointed out that the main reason for delay in Polavaram project had been Chandrababu’s decision to take up construction of the diaphragm wall without completing the spillway first, followed by the upper coffer dam and the lower coffer dam.

He pointed out that due to non-completion of the spillway, 54 villages are facing flooding recurrently.

The former minister said without dealing with these aspects, Naidu is trying to put the blame for his own mistakes on Jagan Mohan Reddy. He wondered why even today, Chandrababu is unable to say that he will complete the Polavaram project in the coming five years.