VIJAYAWADA: The Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) on Monday discussed in detail the recent reverse tendering of the Polavaram headworks and advised the State water resources department to ensure that works are taken up as soon as possible without delay.
The PPA officials met with the water resources department officials in Hyderabad to get a sense of the State government’s Polavaram plans. Speaking to TNIE, Adityanath Das, special chief secretary, water resources department, said the meeting was held by the PPA primarily to know the status of the project and discuss how soon works could be resumed.
The State officials informed the PPA that they were not in a position to award the work to the new contractor in view of the fact that the high court had stayed the process after the previous contractor Navayuga moved the court over the cancellation of the hydel power project contract awarded to it. Nonetheless, they assured the PPA that they were trying to resolve the issue and award the works at the earliest.
The PPA further advised the State officials to take up relief and rehabilitation works on top priority and complete by May 2020 works up to 41.15 m. The PPA also said balance works of the cofferdam should be started at the earliest and completed by the end of May next year. It appears that the PPA officials did not object to the reverse tendering of the headworks after being briefed over the same.
The issue of observations of the expert committee constituted by the State government to look into alleged irregularities also came up for discussion. A special technical team has been constituted for the purpose and it is already on the job, he told the PPA officials. All the project works, including the headworks, left main canal and right main canal, are being examined by the special team. The PPA officials sought details of the composition of the special team and felt that a nominee from the Central government, nominated by the Jal Shakti Ministry, may be included in the team.
The PPA officials also advised the State officials to get designs of the various project components approved by the agencies concerned and pointed out that there was a variation in the tendered quantity as per the progress report and the approved designs.
They suggested that at the time of signing the agreement with the new contractor, various factors should be kept in mind and the agreement should be according to the actual balance quantities and approved design specifications. The State officials submitted an action taken a report on environmental damage due to the dumping site near the Polavaram project.