VIJAYAWADA: Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) chief executive officer (CEO) J Chandrasekhar Iyer, along with other officials, is scheduled to visit the project site in West Godavari for three days from Monday. The team will take stock of the progress in various components, and particularly review the rehabilitation and resettlement of the project-displaced families. It will also visit the colonies built for them.
After the PPA CEO’s visit, Union Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) officials are also scheduled to visit Visakhapatnam and Polavaram Irrigation Project. The MoJS officials will inspect the ongoing works and also hold discussions with the State officials. Their scheduled visit is for three days from August 20.
According to information, PPA CEO Chandrasekhar Iyer is expected to reach the project site by Monday afternoon and will inspect headworks, other components of the irrigation project over the course of his stay. As the R and R works have been delayed and with issues reported from the R and R colonies, the CEO will visit the colonies and is expected to interact with the PDFs directly.
For the record, the state government was asked by the PPA to complete the R and R of the first phase (+41.15m contour) by the end of August as the flood season begins, but the rehabilitation of PDFs has not been as per the authority’s expectation. The CEO is scheduled to conclude his visit on August 18.
On August 20, commissioner AS Goel and senior joint commissioner Anup Kumar Shrivastav from state projects wing of MoJS will visit the water component of Polavaram irrigation project in Visakhapatnam. Later, they are scheduled to leave for the project site and stay till August 22.
As per their schedule, the MoJS officials will hold meetings with the state officials on various matters. The State officials are expected to raise the issue of approval of revised detailed project report, land acquisition, R and R, expediting the release of reimbursement, and other issues.