VIJAYAWADA: The Centre on Monday said the Revised Cost Committee (RCC) constituted by it had revised the cost of the Polavaram Irrigation Project (PIP) to be Rs 29,027.95 crore at 2013-14 price level and Rs 47,725.74 crore at 2017-18 price level, in March 2020.
This was stated by Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu in the Rajya Sabha in response to a question raised by TDP MP Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar on factors taken into consideration while finalising the cost of Polavaram project at Rs 47,724 crore and the details of the annual project cost disbursement proposed to be made to the State of AP.
Tudu said Polavaram was declared a national project as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. As per the Ministry of Finance approval of 2016, the Government of India is to provide 100% of the remaining cost of the irrigation component of the project only for the period starting from April 1, 2014.
“In February, 2019, the second revised cost estimate of PIP was accepted by the Advisory Committee on Irrigation, Flood Control and Multipurpose Projects of the Jal Shakti Ministry, at an estimated cost of Rs 55,548.87 crore at 2017-18 price level. Subsequently, in March 2020, the Revised Cost Committee (RCC) constituted by the Government of India recommended the revised cost of PIP to be Rs 29,027.95 crore at 2013-14 price level and Rs 47,725.74 crore at 2017-18 price-level, he said.
The Centre has been reimbursing the expenditure of irrigation component being made by the Government of AP with effect from April 1, 2014. “The reimbursement is being made from time to time. So far, a sum of Rs 13,463.21 crore has been reimbursed by the Centre to AP,’’ he said.
No information on move to reduce FRL of dam
The Centre on Monday said it has no information about the State government’s proposal to reduce the full reservoir level of Polavaram dam from 45.72 metres to 41.15 metres, Responding to a question raised by TDP MP K Ravindra Kumar, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu said the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Award, 1980 stipulated the FRL for Polavaram dam at 45.72 metres.