VIJAYAWADA: War of words broke out between Water Resources Minister P Anil Kumar Yadav and Opposition Leader N Chandrababu Naidu with both the leaders blaming each other’s government for the problems related to Polavaram project.
While Anil Kumar sought to know as to why the Naidu government accepted when the Union government capped the funding for the project, the TDP chief claimed credit for the approval of revised cost estimates (RCE) of Rs 55,548 crore by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).
Naidu also alleged that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was compromising the interests of the State as the latter was scared of the cases pending against him.
During a short discussion on Polavaram project on the third day of the winter session of the Assembly on Wednesday, Anil Kumar explained the series of events between 2014 and 2018 which led to the Centre capping the funds for Polavaram project. He blamed the Naidu government for accepting the 2013-14 price level for the project.
“After the project was first conceived in the early 1980s, there were no changes in the particulars of land acquisition and the project affected people (PAP) until 2017-18. The TDP government did not revise any particulars and had not even held enumeration and socio-economic survey to identify the land required and the PAPs even when it submitted the RCE. Yet, it agreed to cap the RCE at 2013-14 price level. The work quantities considered for the RCE at 2013-14 PL were those approved in 2010-11, which were the same as the particulars when the project was conceived in the 1980s,” the minister said.
He added that instead of objecting to the Centre’s proposition, Naidu had in fact asked the Prime Minister, in a letter in 2018, to approve the cost as on April 1, 2014. “This is the reason for the entire problem. After ignoring the project for nine years from 1995 to 2004, Naidu failed to even take up the project, touted to be the lifeline of AP, even between 2014 and 2019,” he said.
Meanwhile, Naidu blamed the YSRC government for compromising the interests of the State. “Approval of the RCE is a continuous process. The Centre promised to bear 100 per cent of the remaining cost of the irrigation component. In the meantime, we wanted to get the funding and hence sought the release as per the already approved cost. We slowly overcame problems one after the other. In fact, we got the TAC clearance for Rs 55,548 crore,” Naidu said.
He further noted that even though his government had accepted the special package in lieu of the special category status (SCS), the TDP differed with the Centre when SCS was extended for other States. “But what did your government do in the last one-and-a-half years? You promised the people to fight with the Centre to get the SCS. Later, you have compromised because of the cases,” Naidu alleged.
The former chief minister said he had sought clearance for Rs 54,000 crore and told the YSRC leaders not to make baseless allegations to cover up their mistakes. Taking objection to Naidu’s remarks, the minister alleged that the Opposition Leader was misleading the House.
Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy also submitted the documents in the House to support the government’s argument. Naidu, however, told the ruling party members that it was their responsibility to complete the project, especially LARR. “If your government fails to do so, you will all remain as a blot in the history,” Naidu said.
Anil Kumar intervened and reiterated that the project’s civil works will be completed by December, 2021, and that the water would be diverted via left and right main canals by Kharif, 2022.
CM slams TDP for 70% works claim
The Chief Minister found fault with the previous TDP government for claiming to have completed 70 per cent of the project works. He noted that it was former CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy who got the clearances, completed land acquisition for the right and left main canals and finished most of the canal works. “About 20 per cent of civil works were completed before 2014 and if LARR is included it will be around 9 per cent. Naidu’s government has done little. It is important to know all this as the Opposition is trying to mislead the State,” the CM said
100-ft statue of YSR at project site
Jagan also announced that a 100-ft statue of YS Rajasekhara Reddy will be installed near the Polavaram project site. A motion will also be moved in the House to approve the same, he said. Earlier in the day, Water Resources Minister P Anil Kumar Yadav requested the CM to consider installation of the statue. Speaking to the media, Naidu sought to know as what is the need of the statue of YSR at Polavaram when it is being constructed with 100 per cent funds provided by the Centre. Has the government apprised the Centre about it? he asked
Sidelights:
Polavaram bus yatra and bhajans hailing Naidu
The Chief Minister, while speaking on Polavaram issue, criticised the previous TDP regime for its wasteful expenditure of Rs 83.452 crore in the name of Polavaram bus yatra. Jagan showed some visuals of the yatra where they were singing ‘bhajans’ about the then chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu for constructing the project. The entire House, including the Speaker, burst into laughter
‘We learnt it from you, Chandrababu Naidu garu’
YSRC members attributed frequent disruptions of Chandrababu Naidu’s speech to the lessons they learnt from the latter. As Naidu was speaking, YSRC members started shouting and with Naidu asking the Chair to bring normalcy, a YSRC member shouted a Telugu idiom, ‘nivu nerpina vidye neerajaksha’, inferring that the TDP members did the same during the previous term
Butchaiah pat for Buggana for being ‘handsome’
During a debate on the AP State Development Corporation Bill in the Assembly, TDP MLA Butchaiah Chowdary complemented Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath for being handsome and speaking “beautifully”. Buggana said Chowdary is very handsome, though he lost hair on his head. “Today he came in white for a change, but is known for sporting colourful shirts,” he said