Asserting that the Union government would bear all costs for the construction of Polavaram multi-purpose project, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Friday said necessary action will be taken after the Andhra Pradesh government submits full details on the revised cost estimates.
Shekhawat, along with Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, inspected the Polavaram construction works and conducted a high-level review meeting on the progress of the project. "We will take necessary (follow-up) action after the state government submits full details on the revised cost estimates, the Jal Shakti Minister said.
On behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, I am assuring you that it is our government's responsibility to complete the Polavaram project in accordance with the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. We will bear the entire cost of the project. I will review the projects works every fortnight hereafter for the next three months, Shekhawat said, responding to a plea made by Reddy.
He said the Union government and the state governments are acting in tandem to complete the first phase of Polavaram in the next one year.
The Union Minister also agreed to relocate the Polavaram Project Authority office to Rajamahendravaram.
During the review, the Chief Minister requested the Union Minister to accord immediate sanction for the revised cost estimate of Rs 55,548 crore for the project. He also wanted the drinking water component to be included in the total project.
Reddy pleaded that the Union government pay the project bills once every fortnight to maintain a cash flow with the state government.
In a presentation on the project status, the state Water Resources officials said 76.29 per cent of the project head works have been completed so far.
On the land acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement front, however, the progress was only 20.19 per cent.
Overall, 43.94 per cent of Polavaram works have been completed as on February 28, 2022.
The officials said a sum of Rs 14,428.66 crore was spent on Polavaram after it was declared a national project in 2014. Of this, the Union government so far has reimbursed Rs 11,812.16 crore and another Rs 2,616.50 crore was overdue.
On Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R and R) works, the Jal Shakti Minister asked the officials to submit weekly progress reports.
"There should be a specific action plan for shifting the project displaced families to the new R and R colonies. Prepare a monthly action plan in this regard, he told the officials.
Earlier, Shekhawat and Reddy visited the new R and R Colony at Indukuru in East Godavari district and later at Taduvai in West Godavari. They interacted with some of the displaced families and enquired about the facilities provided to them.
When a 50-year-old tree is translocated to a new place, it has to be nurtured meticulously to give it a new life. Similarly, when people are relocated to a new place, it takes time for them to settle down. The officials concerned should take every care and provide all required facilities to the relocated families, Shekhawat said.
The Jal Shakti Minister asked the authorities to focus also on creating livelihood opportunities, apart from agriculture, to the displaced families.
Later in the evening, while addressing a public meeting organised by the state BJP near the Polavaram project site, he termed Polavaram as the lifeline of AP and said the Union government was fulfilling all promises made in the AP Reorganisation Act.
BJP MPs G V L Narasimha Rao, C M Ramesh, MLC P V N Madhav, party state president Somu Veerraju, general secretary S Vishnuvardhan Reddy and other leaders attended the public meeting.