Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu, tore into his political opponents on Monday evening for “creating hurdles” in the Polavaram project.
His comments, which came as he inspected the project, were aimed at YSR Congress Chief Jagan Mohan Reddy’s recent remarks of how there were “irregularities” in the project. Jana Sena chief, Pawan Kalyan, too, had visited the site at the beginning of December, and had demanded the release of a white paper proving the State’s accountability.
Reacting to this, Naidu said, “Even though I have 40 years of experience supervising projects, I still have difficulty understanding technical details … Despite not knowing the technical details of the project, they [Reddy and Kalyan] are making such statements.”
Kalyan, while seeking the white paper on the construction of the project, also said, “If you are not ready to provide the details, it will raise suspicion in the minds of people about the government’s credibility and integrity."
Referring to this, Naidu declared, “When the government is announcing up-to-date details about the project, they are seeking a white paper … What is this paper about? Would it be coated with gold? … It is better to learn what we don’t know … But people here are claim they know everything.”
He also lambasted the YSRCP for creating hurdles in the project by making false charges against the government.
Reddy, who is on his Prajasankalpa Yatra, earlier in the beginning of the month and had lashed out at the chief minister saying that the hike in the project cause was due to his government’s corruption. "His [Naidu’s] corrupt practices were responsible for the escalation of the cost from Rs 16,000 crore to Rs 56,000 crore,” Reddy alleged.
Naidu reacted saying that the cost of the project had increased due to the implementation of the Land Acquisition Act 2013.
The Chandrababu Naidu-government is aiming to finish the multi-purpose Polavaram project by 2019. Earlier this year, Union Minister for Road Transport and River Development, Nitin Gadkari, conducted an aerial survey of the project, which has been in the works from 2007.
The Polavaram project is likely to displace nearly 3 lakh people, of which 50% are tribals and 15% are Dalits, while the remaining 35% are mainly farmers and agriculturists.