Jagan slaps inquiry into irrigation projects in AP

Setting the tone for establishing a Judicial Commission to look into the tendering process of major irrigation projects in the state, particularly the Polavaram project, Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on Thursday said that a third party inquiry will be ordered to look into irregularities by the earlier government.

Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy appealed to irrigation officials to help the new government in cleaning mechanism in irrigation projects. He asked them to come forward with details of instances of tendering with excess rates. He said that he would felicitate those officials who reveal the facts to save money to the exchequer. He also said he would call for reverse tendering immediately.

Addressing a review meeting of irrigation department at his camp office today, the Chief Minister said everyone knows several scams took place in irrigation tenders in the past five years and the works were allotted for higher prices. The Chief Minister stressed the need for saving Godavari waters as nearly 2000 tmc of flood water from the river goes waste during the rainy season.

He asked the officials to come out with proposals to divert the Godavari waters to the available reservoirs like Srisailam, Nagarjuna Sagar and other available reservoirs. He said the Polavaram project could store only 200 tmc of water. The Chief Minister asked the officials to prepare a report on priority projects for each district.

When the officials explained the status of ongoing projects in each district, the Chief Minister enquired about money needed for their early completion. He stressed the need for cutting down expenditure and asked the officials to prepare plans as per the decision of the government. He stressed the need for reviving Buckingham canal to divert Godavari water and asked the officials to prepare necessary proposals.

The officials said that the state government released Rs 50 crore towards the protection of cofferdam of Polavaram project during the coming rainy season.