Hyderabad: The two principal political rivals in the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh, Telugu Desam and YSR Congress have been maintaining stoic silence on Centre’s delay in promulgating ordinance on Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project.
The Centre withheld the ordinance which will facilitate transfer of 50 more habitations from Khammam district in the proposed Telangana state to the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh facilitating smooth construction of the project. The Centre promised to issue ordinance immediately after the Parliament passed the AP Reorganisation Act 2014.
On the other hand, making Polavaram an electoral issue, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti supremo K. Chandrasekhar Rao announced that his party would halt transfer of any habitation to Andhra Pradesh till the Centre agreed to his demand for changing the project design.
“Except for a passing reference in speeches of their leaders that Polavaram should be built, no political party is paying serious attention. The top leadership of these parties is completely silent,” said Prof P.A. Ramakrishnam Raju an engineering expert who along with farmers’ associations is fighting for the lifeline of Godavari delta.
The TDP is said to have asked its leaders not to talk explicitly on the issue because of its interest in Telangana. Significantly, actor Pawan Kalyan who pledged his support to the BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi was sympathetic to Telangana leaders raising objections over merger of villages.
YSRC chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy too is loading his speeches with welfare schemes giving no room for development of the new state in general and Polavaram in particular.
The state irrigation officials were also worried about transfer of additional habitations turning into a complex issue if the Ordinance could not be issued before the Appointed Day of June 2.
“Of the 264 habitations, the Centre incorporated only 211 in the division Bill. We made a detailed presentation to the GoM members on how important the remaining habitations also for completion of the project,” said a senior irrigation official.
