In a major boost to Andhra Pradesh, the Centre on Monday approved revised estimates amounting to Rs 55,548.87 crore for the construction of the state's Polavaram project.
Responing to a question by YSRCP MP V Vijayasai Reddy in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Rattan Lal Kataria, said that the Centre had examined the proposal of the state government and had decided to approve the same.
Stating that more than Rs 6,000 crore had already been released for the National Project since 2014, Kataria in his response, said that a large chunk of the money, Rs 33,168.23 crore, would be used for land acquisition and rehabilitation works.
Shortly after his victory, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Moha Reddy had told reporters in New Delhi that the TDP government faced allegations of corruption in implementing the project. Jagan said he would cancel the works wherever irregularities were committed. He said completing the project in a time-bound manner with the Centre's support would be his priority.
The Polavaram project is a major multi-purpose irrigation project being constructed on the Godavari River, and spread across three states – Andhra, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. A dam is currently under construction in West Godavari and East Godavari districts of Andhra.
The project will lift water from the Godavari River near Tadipudi village in West Godavari District and pump it through the Main Canal into the 20 TMC capacity Jalleru reservoir, and then supply water to West Godavari and Krishna Districts.
According to the state’s plans, a total of 17,800 acres of land – 6,600 acres of forestland and 11,200 acres of revenue land – spread across 127 villages in four constituencies of West Godavari district – Polavaram, Chintalapudi, Gopalavaram and Denduluru – is being acquired for the project