Activists urge govt to bring in Polavaram ordinance

The Centre should take immediate steps to issue an ordinance according national status to the Polavaram Irrigation Project before June 2 and also try to expedite the works for the same, members of the Polavaram Irrigation Project Sadhana Samithi told Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu here today.

The Samithi's convener Ksolanukonda Shivaji requested Naidu to use his good offices to get an ordinance issued on the Polavaram project before June 2, as discussed in the last session of Parliament when the Andhra Pradesh Re-organisation Bill 2014 was passed.

Shivaji said that since the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh would be completed by June 2, unless the Polavaram ordinance is brought before that date, the matter may have to be discussed again in Parliament. Although the previous UPA government had declared Polavaram to be a 'national project, it was unable to bring the ordinance on the same as the model code of conduct had come into effect immediately after the last session of Parliament.

Shivaji said that a convention would be held here on Thursday to discuss the issue and the future course of action with all political parties.