Hyderabad: Union water resources minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday night announced that if the Polavaram project contractor (Transstroy) would not show significant progress in concrete works, the Centre would consider allowing another firm to complete it by 2019 as scheduled. Mr Gadkari gave this assurance during his three-hour meeting with AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. Officials from the Union and state water resources ministries, Polavaram Project Authority, Cent-ral Water Commission and Transstroy were present at the meeting between Mr Gadkari and Mr Naidu.
The Transstroy representative was cautioned over the slow progress of concrete works comprising the spill way and spill channel works, which are a crucial aspect of the project. Mr Gadkari assured Mr Naidu that he would take up the issue of securing approvals for the revised estimates of the Polavaram dam, canals and land to be acquired with Union finance minister Arun Jaitley. The revised estimates were prepared by the AP government.
