YSRCP Wants AP Govt To Come Clean On Central Funding Of Polavaram Project

Reiterating that the Chandrababau Naidu government has taken over the Polavaram project with an eye on kickbacks, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has said that the state must categorically specify the amount that the Centre has agreed upon.

Speaking to reporters here on Monday party spokesperson K Parthasarathi said: ‘the state has been time and again telling that the revised estimate of the project is Rs 40,000 crores while the amount does not match to the Centre’s estimates.

"The Centre has very specifically said that it would pay only as per the 2013 estimate which accounts for Rs 16,0000 crores and deduct the amount spent so far from it. The State on the other hand has been telling that the project cost is Rs 40,000 and it is high time that Chandrababu Naidu come out with the facts and figures as to how much the Centre would be paying instead of resorting to criticism of Leader of Opposition time and again," he said.

After taking over the project, the State Government has retained the blacklisted company with questionable credentials and has been negotiating directly with sub-contractors with an eye on kickbacks, he said.

The irrigation minister makes tall claims but he could not provide water to even Krishna delta, he said and added that Chandrababu and Devineni Uma were responsible for stalling Polavaram project by inciting the neighbouring states and local farmer during the time of YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

Though a Dalit woman minister was ranked topper in the cabinet rankings, she was shunted out, but the irrigation minister, who is close to the CM and is hand in glove in making 'settlements' with the contractors, has not been removed.

The state should also make it clear as to how much funding the Centre is giving for Polavaram project as per the revised estimates and whether or not it matches our expectations, he said.