Reiterating that the Jagan Mohan Reddy government will not make any compromise on implementation of the Polavaram project fully by the Centre, Minister for Water Resources Anil Kumar Yadav has asserted that it will be completed at any cost by December next year.
Addressing the media here on Friday, Mr. Anil Kumar alleged that the previous TDP government neglected the project. He further alleged that the TDP took over the project from Centre for the sake of ‘'kickbacks' and was now blaming the YSRCP for the current predicament following the Centre's decision to cap the project cost based on the memo issued by the Ministry of Finance in 2016.
He recalled that the TDP had hailed the 'special package' announced by Centre which included the Polavaram project, without considering the cost escalation factor when it was fully the responsibility of the Centre to implement Polavaram, a national project.
He dared Leader of Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu to reveal the Union Cabinet note of 2017 when the TDP shared power with the Bharatiya Janata Party at Centre.
He disputed the claim of the TDP leaders that 70% of the works had been completed when it was in power after spending only ₹17,000 crore, while the entire cost of the project was ₹55,000 crore. The TDP leaders had ignored the Rehabilitation and Resettlement component of the project, he said.
Dig at Lokesh
“TDP leader Nara Lokesh is making baseless allegations against Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy,” said the Minister adding he (Lokesh) was no match to the calibre of the Chief Minister. People would teach a lesson to the TDP as and when the local body elections were held.
The Minister along with his Cabinet colleague Mekapati Goutham Reddy also reviewed the progress of the Somasila High Canal project designed to provide 6 tmcft of water to the drought-hit parts of SPSR Nellore district.
