No truth in Andhra Pradesh CM’s assertion on Polavaram: TDP

HYDERABAD: Demanding that justice be done to the Polavaram displaced, Opposition TDP MLAs alleged that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was misleading the Assembly by uttering lies on the project. The Chief Minister was evasive when the TDP demanded that justice be done to the project oustees, they said. Speaking to mediapersons at the party central office on Monday, TDP MLAs Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary and Nimmala Ramanaidu accused the Chief Minister of taking the Assembly for a ride by forcibly sending the opposition members out of the House.

Ramanaidu, who is the Deputy Floor Leader, said Jagan did not have even basic knowledge about the diaphragm wall and that it is built below the surface. “After Jagan became the CM, the future of Polavaram has been pushed into uncertainty,” he remarked.

During previous TDP regime, 71% of Polavaram projec works were completed. “Not even 3% of works have been completed after Jagan came to power. Even the Central Water Works wing has clearly mentioned this in its report,” the MLA said, adding that the Water Resources Minister too does not have any knowledge about the diaphragm wall.

What was more ridiculous was that the Chief Minister on the floor of the House said the spillway should be constructed before building the cofferdam. Former CM Naidu, who wanted to complete the Polavaram project by June 2020, simultaneously took up the construction work of cofferdam, diaphragm wall, spillway and earth-cum-rockfill dam, Ramanaidu stated.

The TDP deputy floor leader pointed out that the IIT, Hyderabad experts in their report submitted to the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) clearly mentioned that the damage caused to the diaphragm wall was not a natural calamity but it was damaged only because of some ‘human blunder’.  “What Jagan will say on this and what is his reply,” he asked and made it clear that the Chief Minister lost the trust of the people and he has no right to continue in power any longer.

Ramanaidu asked as to why Jagan did not condemn the statement made by his Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao that the AP Chief Minister had agreed to reduce the height of the Polavaram dam from 45.75 to 41.15 metres. “This clearly shows that he has some clandestine dealings with Chandrasekhar Rao. Jagan is mortgaging the State’s interests to come out of his cases,” he charged.