Naidu Meets Polavaram Project Rehabilitated Families, Disburses ₹226 Crore Compensation
Third phase of rehabilitation package highlights government’s focus on project completion and welfare of affected families
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu met with families rehabilitated from villages submerged due to the Polavaram project and handed over ₹226 crore as part of the third phase of the resettlement and rehabilitation package. The meeting was attended by Water Resources Minister Nimmala Rama Naidu, Chief Secretary Sai Prasad, and other senior officials.
Addressing the families, the CM emphasized that the Polavaram project is a lifeline for the state and that linking rivers will bring benefits across Andhra Pradesh. He criticized previous administrations for neglecting affected communities, leaving people exposed to floodwaters. He also highlighted that Polavaram district was formed with Rampachodavaram as its center to better manage project implementation and rehabilitation.
Naidu noted that the families had sacrificed homes and land for the state’s development and assured them that the government is committed to completing the project transparently and delivering justice to all rehabilitated families. He mentioned that the project is being executed in two phases, with 38,068 families in the first phase, and that 26 out of 75 rehabilitation colonies are complete, with the remaining 49 under construction and expected to be finished by December 2026.
He reaffirmed that earlier compensation phases had distributed ₹800 crore in January 2025 and ₹916 crore during Diwali 2025, totaling ₹1,943.53 crore for 26,149 beneficiaries over 21 months. Naidu also spoke about the reconstruction of a diaphragm wall damaged due to previous negligence and the allocation of funds directly to families to ensure transparency, while promising skill development programs for the youth from rehabilitated communities.
The Chief Minister concluded by assuring the families that the Polavaram project will be completed and dedicated to the nation, emphasizing that the sacrifices of the rehabilitated families form the foundation of this vital infrastructure initiative.
