Polavaram is a priority, says CM Chandrababu Naidu

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said that his government will complete the Polavaram project on priority.  Releasing the white paper on irrigation on Monday, he said that despite hurdles, there is no going back on completion of the Polavaram project.

“I will take up immediate steps as there is fear of drought,” he said.  Accusing the previous Congress government, Mr Naidu said that the  Congress government had spent thousands of crores of rupees without proper planning.   

He said a total of 86 projects had been taken up at a cost of Rs 1,90,598 crore, the  budget requirement to complete these projects over 10 years  would be 20 to 30 per cent of the state budget .

Alleging that irrigation projects were used as a vehicle to siphon money from the exchequer, Mr Naidu said  the original estimate of  Gundlakamma Reservoir in Prakasam district was Rs 165 crore during  TD regime and after the change of government, the cost was revised three times to '592 crore.

He said that the Comptroller and Auditor General  had also observed that all the projects had been grounded simultaneously without proper planning and clearing the hindrances.