VIJAYAWADA: Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav announced that the TDP-led NDA government, under the direction of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, has deposited Rs 1,000 crore into the accounts of families displaced by the Polavaram project.
Speaking to the media at his camp office on Saturday, Keshav highlighted the Chief Minister’s focus on expediting payments for project oustees during a finance department review held on January 2.
In a sharp critique of Jagan, Payyavula refuted claims about delays in fulfilling poll promises. He contrasted the current administration’s swift action—raising pensions by Rs 1,000 within a month—with the previous government’s delay of five years to achieve the same increment. “We are fully aware of the promises we made to the people. You don’t need to remind us,” he said.
Payyavula accused former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of halting progress on Polavaram during his tenure.
He highlighted the current government’s commitment to completing the project and extending Godavari water to Banakacharla, which he called the “heart of irrigation” for Rayalaseema.
Recalling the water crises in Rayalaseema, where farmers from Kurnool and Anantapur districts staged frequent protests for irrigation, the minister credited the Pattiseema project with easing tensions in the region. “A small project like Pattiseema has brought significant changes to Rayalaseema,” the minister said.