YSR Congress Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday blamed it on the previous Telugu Desam Party government led by N Chandrababu Naidu for the inordinate delay in the completion of Polavaram major irrigation project on the Godavari river.
Intervening in the discussion on the Polavaram project during the question hour in the state assembly, Jagan made a power point presentation explaining how the Naidu government had allegedly goofed up in the project designs that led to the washing away of the diaphragm wall in Godavari floods, resulting in the delay in the construction of the earth-cum-rockfill dam.
Jagan made the presentation, after the TDP members were suspended from the assembly for the day for storming the Speaker’s podium creating ruckus over the Polavaram issue during the question hour.
The chief minister said as per the project design, the contractors were supposed to first complete the approach channel and spillway of the main dam, followed by upper and lower coffer dams, so that river water could be diverted towards the spill way, paving the way for construction of earth-cum-rock fill dam.
“But this gentleman, who claims to have 40 years of experience in politics and ruled the state for 14 years as the chief minister, has goofed up the entire project. He had neither completed the approach channel and spillway nor the upper coffer dam,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“But this gentleman, who claims to have 40 years of experience in politics and ruled the state for 14 years as the chief minister, has goofed up the entire project. He had neither completed the approach channel and spillway nor the upper coffer dam,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Jagan alleged that due to the inefficiency of the previous government in completing the works, there were gaps in the coffer dams. “As a result, the Godavari water could not get diverted towards the spillway during the flood season and because of the gaps in the coffer dam, it washed away the diaphragm wall,” he pointed out.
Jagan claimed that his government had announced a better package than the previous one towards rehabilitation and resettlement of the evacuees and said the TDP had goofed up the project economics which were being rectified.
“As assured, we have issued orders to hike the compensation to ₹10 lakh from ₹6.86 lakhs of the previous government with the reservoir height marked at 41.15 metres, keeping dam security in view,” he said.
He said of the total 106,006 project evacuees, 20,946 families come under the 41.15-metre reservoir level of which 14,110 were already paid a compensation of ₹19,060 crore and for remaining, efforts are being made to pay the amount which will go directly into the bank account of the beneficiaries.
He said for those who got compensation of meagre ₹1.5 lakh would also get ₹5 lakh. He reminded that during the TDP regime, only 3,073 families had got the compensation under R&R package by spending ₹193 crore.
Jagan alleged that Naidu’s inefficient governance had resulted in blockage of ₹2,900 crore from the Centre, as it goofed up the project progress by accepting a special package which was not there.
“Once the rains recede, we will take up the work from November on a war-footing,” he said, adding that the state government was trying to rectify the mistakes of the previous government.
Senior TDP leader and former irrigation minister Devineni Umamaheshwar Rao said the chief minister was resorting blatant lies in the assembly. “Jagan is responsible for the delay in the project works as he changed the contractor for the sake of kickbacks,” he said.
The TDP leaders said before the elections, Jagan had promised to enhance the compensation to project evacuees to ₹10 lakh. “But nobody was paid the amount even after 40 months. He has failed to secure funds from the Centre and mortgaged the interests of the state for his personal benefits,” Rao alleged.