PUDUCHERRY: After Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and PWD Minister A Namassivayam moved court against Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi’s decisions, Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao is now planning to move court against the LG for ‘blocking’ execution of a flood protection project at a cost of Rs 137.28 crore in Yanam, which was cleared by the Union Jal Shakti Ministry on July 13, 2018.
The project was initiated to secure lives of 13,083 people, living on the banks of river Gauthami in Yanam from flooding and soil erosion during the monsoon seasons by constructing revetment walls, said Malladi Krishna Rao, who hails from Yanam.
“Whenever the barrage is opened during monsoons to let water into the sea, areas in Old Rajiv Nagar, GMC Balayogi Nagar and Francetippa faced flooding. Since the water level rises as high as 13 feet, the project aimed at raising 15-foot walls,” the minister said.
Krishna Rao added that the Jal Sakthi Ministry has been asking Puducherry Government to specify a ‘head of account’ for releasing Rs 52 crore as the first installment, sanctioned for the project. “But the L-G is not giving the ‘concurrence certificate’ for opening the ‘head of account’,” he added.
Jal Shakti Ministry Secretary UP Singh, in a letter to the minister dated October 30 last year (a copy of which is available with TNIE), stated, “The project in Yanam was approved by the ministry in XIth plan and is still lingering on for various reasons. I would, therefore, request the government of Puducherry to expedite submission of funding proposals to CWC (Central Water Commission) immediately for the release of Central assistance under Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP) to complete the project by March 2020.”
“Bedi is sending SMS as well as writing to the Ministry not to proceed further with the project claiming that the Public Works Department was yet to reply to some technical issues raised by her. But the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was prepared by a consultant from the Jal Shakti Ministry panel, after which a team of five technical experts headed by CPWD Chief Engineer visited Yanam. Based on their report only, the project was approved by the Centre,” the minister told the reporters.
With Bedi not responding, the UT cabinet on January 13 decided to refer the project to the Jal Shakti Ministry for execution. “Puducherry government would fully cooperate with the Centre and its agency for completion of the project,” the cabinet had noted then.
I will move the court if the L-G does not clear the file for project execution by the Centre through its agency WAPCOS, the minister said.
Order to cut power and water supply
The L-G had recently directed the Yanam administration to cut water and power supply for those residing in three colonies on the water front so that they would be forced to vacate the place. The reason cited for the action was that the Town and Country Planning Department had not given approval for residing in that area.
Malladi Krishna Rao said, “There is no land available in Yanam to relocate the people and hence free pattas could not be given to them. The area is already included as ‘residential’ in the Comprehensive Development Plan for Yanam, which will be notified shortly. Hence through a cabinet decision, the orders of the L-G to cut power and water supply has been postponed till May.”