Focus on rehabilitation, resettlement colonies, CM Jagan tells officials after Polavaram project inspection

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy has said the state government is spending its own funds for the construction of the Polavaram national project while the Centre is yet to reimburse about Rs 2,300 crore.

On Monday, Reddy went on an aerial survey of the multipurpose irrigation project on River Godavari straddling the East and West Godavari districts. He also inspected the spillway and later held a review meeting with the officials on the pace of works.

Explaining the progress of the last two years, i.e. since the time Reddy took over from former CM Chandrababu Naidu, officials said that “works related to spillway are almost complete and that 42 out of the planned 48 gates were already fixed.”

Officials said that the Earth-Cum-Rock Fill (ECRF) dam area was damaged during the floods because of the gaps in the lower cofferdam and added that designs would be finalized soon to complete the ECRF dam work.

While the chief minister wanted the completion of the linking of the two canals, tunnel works etc., by June 2022, officials said that the excavation works could be completed by December and the remaining works later on.

While directing the officials to focus on quality in the construction of R&R (rehabilitation and resettlement) colonies of the project, Reddy ordered the appointment of a special officer to monitor the standards in R&R and rectify any mistakes. Officials informed the CM that they target to shift families from 48 out of the 90 affected habitations by August. The CM said he would visit the R&R colonies next month and instructed the officials to plan programmes for the employment and skill development of the project evacuees.

The Chief Minister said that R&R work bills are being cleared despite the financial constraints faced by his government.

“We need to get the reimbursement of Rs 2,300 crore from the central government for Polavaram and yet we are spending our own funds for the project,” Reddy said while asking the officials to concentrate on getting the reimbursements at the earliest.

The YSRCP government has been asking the Centre to clear the Rs 55,656 crore revised estimated cost of the Polavaram project. The R&R component cost is Rs 33,000 crore.

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