Govt to release Rs 996 cr for Polavaram project displaced

Vijayawada: Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday directed irrigation department officials to release Rs 996 crore for land acquisition, rehabilitation, and resettlement of Polavaram project displaced persons. The chief minister reviewed the works of ongoing irrigation projects in the state and directed officials to expedite the works, including Polavaram. Naidu is scheduled to visit Polavaram project and release the work schedule on Dec 12.Minister for irrigation, Nimmala Ramanaidu, said the chief minister has asked for initiation of talks with the govts of Chhattisgarh and Odisha to resolve pending issues. Along with Polavaram, Naidu also reviewed the progress of all major irrigation projects and directed officials to call tenders for the completion of Handri-Neeva project works at the earliest.Criticising the previous YSRCP govt for neglecting all irrigation projects, including Polavaram, Ramanaidu said Chintalapudi project works was completely stalled by the previous govt. "Had the works continued, today 30 lakh people would have got drinking water along with irrigation water to 4 lakh acres," he said.Even on the Veligonda project, YSRCP govt misled people with blatant lies, he alleged. "Just before the elections, then chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy dedicated the project to people as if the works had been completed. In reality, another Rs 3,000 crore is required to complete Veligonda project works, and it will be completed only in 2026," said Ramanaidu.The irrigation minister further said that the state govt will soon introduce a water policy with a long-term vision for effective utilisation of water. "This year the state received more than 11,000 TMC of water, but only 954 TMC of water was utilised. Irrespective of flood or drought situations, the govt is aiming to make Andhra Pradesh a water-surplus state through interlinking of rivers and effective utilisation of available water," he added.