VIJAYAWADA: Requesting the Centre to consider the Polavaram Project as a special case, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday wrote to Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari seeking approval for the revised cost estimate (RCE)(2013-14) so that Rs10,000 crore can be released as funds for the venture. Naidu also asked for the clearance of balance reimbursement dues to the tune of `1,504.14 crore.
The Chief Minister emphasised that the release of funds was crucial to the completion of land acquisition and rehabilitation and resettlement works as per schedule.“As you are aware, the Polavaram Irrigation Project is the lifeline of Andhra Pradesh... All requisite clearances have been obtained... and about 55 per cent of the total work has been completed,” he wrote in the missive, and warned, “Any delay in providing the required funds will seriously hamper the present pace of works.”
Stating that the state government had already submitted to the Central Water Commission the revised cost estimate of the project (as on April 1, 2014), the Chief Minister appealed to the Union Minister to give his nod to the RCE soon.
He also brought the Gadkari’s attention to the amount spent by the state government for the project. “At present, the expenditure incurred on the project by the State is being reimbursed within the approved Revised Cost Estimate (RCE)(2010-11) of Rs 16,010.45 crores. Pending approval of RCE (2013-14) the balance Irrigation component of the Project available for reimbursement as per RCE of (2010-11) is Rs431.27 crore, even though the due amount of reimbursement is Rs 1,935.41 crores,” he stated before asking for the reimbursement of the balance irrigation component immediately.