VIJAYAWADA: The reason for the Revised Cost Estimates (RCE) of the Polavaram project to be stuck with the Ministry of Water Resources is said to be the delay in approving the minutes of meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of the Central Water Commission (CWC), which approved the escalated cost of the national project.
Even though the RCE of Rs 55,548 crore was approved by the TAC in February this year after almost 18 months of gruelling scrutiny, the State government requested for revising one of the points in the minutes of the meeting.
The standard process of the TAC, a member of the committee explained, is that it approves the minutes of the previous meeting in the following session. “But, in the minutes of the February meeting, there was a deviation from what was agreed upon. So, we have requested a revision. The problem here is, even if the revision is done, we have no schedule of holding the next TAC meeting as there are no proposals to be taken up in the agenda,” the official observed.
Once the minutes are approved formally by the TAC, it would be forwarded to the ministry. “From there, it would be sent to Niti Aayog and from there to the Ministry of Finance. After the financial concurrence is given, it would be sent to the Union Cabinet for final approval,” another official elaborated the procedure. Since the Union Cabinet can’t be in session till May 27 due to the Model Code of Conduct, the State officials surmise that the RCE would get the final clearance only after the new government forms at the Centre.
“Until then, funds as per the approved revised detailed project report would be on hold. That is why we sought Rs 10,000 crore interim fund,” the official noted. It may be recalled, following the request, the Ministry of Water Resources agreed to release Rs 2,000 crore interim funds and forwarded the file to Ministry of Finance to ensure that the execution of the national project wouldn’t be hampered.