VIJAYAWADA: Hitting back at the Opposition on the Polavaram issue, Chief Minister Jagan Reddy said in the state assembly on Monday that the state government has announced a better package towards R&R while the previous TD government had goofed up the project economics.
These errors are now being rectified, the CM said while intervening in the question hour and giving a powerpoint presentation to the members.
He said, “As was assured to the affected people, we have issued orders to hike the compensation to Rs 10 lakh per family from the Rs 6.86 lakh promised by the previous TD government. The reservoir height is marked at 41.15 metres, keeping dam security in mind,” the CM said.
Jagan explained that 20,946 of the total 1, 06,006 DPs (displaced persons) come under the 41.15 metre reservoir level, of which 14,110 have already been paid the money. The remaining steps are currently being taken to pay the rest of the amount which will go directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries, he said.
The CM explained that the 14,110 DPs were paid a compensation totalling Rs 19,060 crore and efforts were on to pay the compensation for the remaining 6,836 by October 2022. He said, “We said, those who got compensation of a meagre 1.5 lakh will also get Rs 5 lakh. We are committed to it. While the TD government in its five years had paid compensation to only 3,073 persons and released Rs 193 crore, our government in its three years paid more – Rs 1773 crore to 10,330 persons.”
Jagan said Chandrababu Naidu’s “inefficient” governance resulted in a blocking of Rs 2,900 crore expected from the Centre, he also “goofed up” the project’s progress by accepting a special package, which in reality “was not there.”
The CM said a comparative glance of the data between the previous and present state governments will show that “we have more commitment towards the project and payment of compensation.”
Explaining the alleged “inefficiency” of the previous Telugu Desam government, through a powerpoint presentation on the Polavaram project, Jagan asked as to how Chandrababu Naidu has agreed for the cost as of 2011 for an ongoing project. “Once the rainy season is over, we will take up the work from November, on a war-footing.”
Jagan said the life of the Upper Coffer Dam of Polavaram has been completely exhausted whereas the Lower Coffer Dam is to be raised to a level of 30.5 metres. The flood threat is higher than expected and the clearance of the designs to be given by the central government has been delayed.”
Because of this, the work of the Lower Coffer Dam was not done as fast as was planned. While it was supposed to be built at a height of 30.5 metres, it could be built only to a height of 21 to 23 metres. As soon as the rains are over, the works would start in November and the project would be completed on a war footing.
