RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Former minister and YSRC leader Chelluboyina Srinivasa Venugopala Krishna expressed concern over the mismanagement of the Polavaram Irrigation Project under the leadership of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and attributed the setbacks and financial loss incurred by the project to Naidu’s hasty and ill-conceived decisions.
Speaking to the media in Rajamahendravaram on Monday, Chelluboyina alleged that Naidu resorted to desperate measures, such as burning important documents, in an attempt to cover up the findings of the expert committee report, and prevent the truth pertaining to the project from reaching the public. He termed it a calculated move to mislead the people, ensuring that the real facts about Polavaram’s mismanagement remain hidden.
The former minister mentioned that Naidu took over the project from the Centre and misused public funds for personal gains. Naidu started three major works the spillway, diaphragm wall and cofferdam simultaneously, which caused problems and delays. This led to a loss of Rs 900 crore due to the need to rebuild the diaphragm wall, he pointed out.
The committee report stated that the cofferdam and jet grouting wall were damaged during the 2018 Godavari floods due to poor planning. The committee questioned Naidu’s so-called visionary leadership, and expressed surprise at the government’s failure to address these critical issues.