VIJAYAWADA: The State water resources officials briefed Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy regarding the developments in the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) meeting and informed him that the Union Ministry of Finance agreed to release `2,234.288 crore without any riders.
Special chief secretary (water resources) Adityanath Das, along with other officials, met the Chief Minister on Tuesday and apprised him of the discussions held in the meeting. They informed him that the State put forth a strong argument that the revised cost estimates (RCE) at 2017-18 price level has to be considered. The Chief Minister is learnt to have expressed satisfaction over the developments.
In the four-hour-long Monday’s meeting, Polavaram Project Authority’s chief executive officer (CEO) is learnt to have insisted on being bound by the Union Finance Ministry’s missive that RCE at 2013-14 price level should be confirmed. Special CS Adityanath Das vehemently objected to it and asked if the PPA was made a party by the MoF while taking the decision.
When the PPA CEO replied in the negative, the Special Chief Secretary reasoned as to how PPA, the executing agency, could implement a decision taken without its consent, and insisted that the latest price level be confirmed as the project can’t be completed at older rates.
In fact, the Special CS’ argument was also supported by the Central Water Commission (CWC), which cleared the RCE at 2017-18 price level.
Since the officials, after the conclusion of the meeting on Monday, said that the authority responded positively, the officials now await the minutes of the meeting. The special CS also asked that the draft of the minutes be sent to the State so that there will not be any ambiguity.
The PPA will now forward the resolutions to the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), which in turn will submit its recommendations to the MoF. While it was earlier said that Jagan would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon to discuss the issue of Polavaram project, it is learnt that he would do it at an opportune time — may be after the MoJS sent its recommendations to the MoF.
Officials brief Jagan
The officials informed the Chief Minister that the State put forth a strong argument that the revised cost estimates (RCE) at price level of 2017-18 has to be considered. The CM is learnt to have expressed satisfaction over the developments.