YSR Congress party on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and Telugu Desam Party of enacting high dramas on the construction of Polavaram major irrigation project, without actually spelling out when the project would be completed.
Speaking to media, YSRC spokesman Botsa Satyanarayana demanded that the Centre and State Governments categorically announce the deadline for the completion of Polavaram project as it was high time give a firm assurance and stop playing the blame game besides resorting to delay tactics.
“We demand a specific date as to when the national project will be completed as there seems to be no sincerity on part of BJP and TDP as well. Polavaram is the lifeline of the state and the issue has never been taken up with earnestness by both the governments,” Botsa said.
The project appears to be a cash cow for contractors defeating the intended purpose of serving the irrigation, drinking water and hydro power needs of the people.
“While the Polavaram was declared a national project, during the state division, the Central Government has taken the responsibility of completing it but Chandrababu Naidu has taken it over into the state’s fold to benefit contractors and kickbacks. The Special Category Status (SCS) was put on backburner and priority was given to a supplementary project called Pattiseema,” he pointed out.
He alleged that Pattiseema project was taken up at a high speed as there was cash flow in it and it served Chandrababu’s commercial interests and left the Polavaram and SCS to winds.
Neither the Centre nor the State government had shown any keen interest in completing the Polavaram and their intent was clear in the allocations in their respective annual budgets which was very meagre as far as Polavaram was concerned.
Though it was known that there is rampant corruption in the Polavaram project, the BJP did not question the state as long as TDP was an ally of NDA.
The Detailed Project Report varied and many vital things issues differed between the two DPRs, including cost escalation.
The situation now is that both TDP and BJP are playing the blame game on Polavaram leading to further delay and we demand that the two governments should categorically announce a firm deadline as to when the Polavaram will be completed, he said.
