In an oblique reference to Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Telangana, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today appealed to the neighbouring states not to create any impediments to the Polavaram multipurpose project but rather co-operate in ensuring its timely completion.
"At the same time, if the Government of India does not completely help us (by releasing required funds), we will face a lot of problems. We are determined to complete the Polavaram (project) in the next two years," the chief minister told the Andhra Pradesh Assembly during a short discussion on the subject.
Without naming anyone, the Chief Minister said: "This is the biggest project in the country and everyone should contribute in their own way for its completion. Those within the state and those outside should not create impediments to Polavaram. If you can, please cooperate, otherwise don't throw stones".
The chief minister's remarks assume significance as Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recently wrote a letter demanding that all works related to Polavaram be stopped forthwith, till all its concerns were addressed.
Odisha, along with Chhattisgarh, is already engaged in a legal battle in the Supreme Court over the project while Telangana too now joined as a party.
While the principal opposition YSR Congress has been petitioning the Centre to probe the financial irregularities in the execution of the multi-purpose project, the Congress filed a public interest litigation in the High Court seeking 100 per cent cost reimbursement from the Centre for Polavaram.
"If the Centre releases funds properly, we will complete Polavaram by spending Rs 58,000 crore in the next two years, which will be a record in India. This is our responsibility," Naidu said.
"The sooner we get the required funds, the sooner we will complete the project. It's such a gigantic project which the country will not see again in future. A project that discharges a staggering 50 lakh cusecs of water is probably unique in the world," the Chief Minister said.
He made a detailed statement on the history of the project and the progress made thus far.
"To expedite the work, we have decided to entrust a part of the spillway and spill channel works to other contractors (by sidelining the main contractor). I told (Union Water Resources Minister) Nitin Gadkari about the need for changing the contractors. I told him that we are going ahead and need his cooperation. He promised to call a meeting soon to resolve all issues," Naidu added.
He said a revised estimate for the project was submitted to the Centre in August pegging the cost at Rs 58,319.06 crore. Of this, the state government would have to bear Rs 4205 crore on the powerhouse.
"Rehabilitation and resettlement of the project displaced persons alone will cost Rs 33,858 crore as per the 2013 R&R Act," he said.
Naidu said as many as 1,83,732 persons belonging to 95,471 families, affected by the project, are yet to be rehabilitated.
Also, over 60,000 acres of land has to be further acquired for the project, he added.
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