The State Water Resources department is pursuing the clearance of revised detailed project report (DPR) of Polavaram project with the Union Jal Shakti Ministry so that there would be consistent flow of funds from the Centre once the works resume in November. The officials expect that the process will reach the conclusion stage by mid-October.
Even though the revised cost estimates committee was supposed to have a meeting this week, the State officials said it is likely to be postponed to early next week. “We are working to get the revised DPR approved by October 15 as we plan to have the works resumed by the new contracting agency from November. A meeting is likely to be held by the committee on Monday or so,” a senior official noted.
The official added that all the necessary details have been furnished to the Union ministry including the change in the quantities of works -- in civil and rehabilitation and resettlement -- from 2005 to 2010 to 2014.
After getting approval from the technical advisory committee for `55,548 crore in February this year, the revised DPR has been under finance officials’ scrutiny. Once the revised cost estimates committee also gives its nod, it would get the ministry’s approval and forwarded to Ministry of Finance for release of funds. Until the revised DPR gets approval, the State will not be in a position to get reimbursement for the funds it spent. With the approval taking time, the State had requested that an interim fund of `3,000 crore be released. While Union Jal Shakti Ministry sounded positive, the fund release has not been materilaised. “We are confident that the revised DPR would get financial concurrence in October,” another official explained.