VIJAYAWADA: The Water Resources Department will send its reply to the Union Jal Shakti Ministry on the latest developments pertaining to Polavaram irrigation project early next week. The ministry had given time till Thursday for the State to submit an ‘evaluation and proper assessment’ report at the behest of the Prime Minister’s Office, on the national project in the wake of the government’s decision to go for reverse tendering. “The reply will be sent on Monday to the Union Jal Shakti Ministry and the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA),” a senior official said.
For the record, Senior Joint Commissioner-I from the Union Water Resources Department Anup Kumar Shrivastava, based on PMO’s direction, had shot off a letter to Special Chief Secretary (State Water Resources) Adityanath Das on August 29 seeking an ‘evaluation and proper assessment’ report on the national project. The Jal Shakti Ministry asked the State to treat the issue as ‘most urgent’ and send a reply by September 3. With no reply sent, the Union ministry sent a reminder on Monday, this time giving time till Thursday.