The National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre on Thursday blamed it on the state government for not submitting the accounts for the money spent on Polavaram major irrigation project being constructed on Godavari river during 2018 and 2019.
Union minister for major irrigation Gajendra Singh Shekhawat told the Lok Sabha in a question raised by Telugu Desam Party member from Vijayawada Kesineni Srinivas alias Nani that the Centre had released Rs 8,614.16 crore to Andhra Pradesh for Polavaram project, including Rs 1,850 crore last week.
“However, the state has not submitted the details of expenditure incurred on the project during 2018 and 2019, despite the ministry writing letters to the state government twice,” Shekawat said, indicating that funds would be released only after submission of accounts and audit reports to the Centre.
He, however, said the Polavaram project was completed to the extent of 69.54 per cent till February.
“The Centre will bear the entire expenditure of project construction. We are hoping that the project would be completed by December 2021,” the Union minister said.
Needless to say, the Centre was pointing an accusing finger at the previous Telugu Desam Party regime led by N Chandrababu Naidu during this period.
The work on the project had come to a halt in April 2019, when the assembly elections were held in the state and YSR Congress party led by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy came to power in May 2019.
Subsequently, the tenders given to Navayuga Constructions were cancelled and fresh tenders were awarded to Megha Engineering in October through a reverse tendering process at a lesser rate. The works on Polavaram project commenced only in November.
