VIJAYAWADA: Heated exchanges took place between Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Opposition leader Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy in the State Assembly on Thursday over Polavaram irrigation project.
After Naidu moved a motion of thanks to the Centre a day for clearing the proposal to fund 100 per cent Polavaram Project and special financial assistance to the state in lieu of the coveted Special Category Status (SCS) to the state, Jaganmohan Reddy found fault with the Chief Minister for failing to achieve SCS and settling for package.
Reddy was angry with the Chief Minister for claiming that he had told the Centre that he would to take oath of office as the Chief Minister unless the centre transferred seven mandals in Khammam district to AP from Telangana to facilitate taking up of Polavaram Project. His insistence had paid off as at the very first Cabinet meeting, the centre had passed an ordinance to this effect.
The YSRC chief alleged that the Chief Minister was trying to take full credit for Polavaram even though former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy had spent substantial funds on the project between 2004 and 2009.
Reacting to Jagan Mohan Reddy's contention, Naidu said that the TDP had spent more on the project than either Rajasekhar Reddy or the other successive Congress governments. After the TDP came, we have spent `3,540 crore,"" he said.
Arguing that the government led by YS Rajasekhara Reddy spent only `2,533 crore from 2004 to 2009, he said the same Congress government after his demise spent `2,924 crore.
Defending the decision on accepting the special package instead of mounting pressure on the Centre for SCS, he said as an experienced leader, he accepted the package for the benefit of the State.
With the members of the Opposition party repeatedly storming the well of the House and raising slogans demanding that the Speaker give the mike to opposition leader, the Chief Minister said the YSRC will not get even security deposits back in the next elections if they continue rowdyism in the Assembly.
Amidst the din of the Opposition members kept raising at the podium, Speaker Kodela Siva Prasad Rao announced the passing of the motion moved by the Chief Minister thanking the Centre for approving the proposal for special financial assistance to State and adjourned the House till March 20.