When AP CM Chandrababu Naidu had actually boasted that he would be completing the Polavaram project by the year 2018, many people dismissed it off saying it is not possible. Well Chandrababu seems to have found a way for wiggling out of this situation.
Raised the Polavaram project
He has now raised the Polavaram project cost to Rs 36000 crore from the earlier estimate of Rs 16000 crore in the year 2011. The revised estimates according to AP’s Irrigation Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao is reportedly because of inflation and relief and rehabilitation works.
Although Polavaram was accorded national status, the Centre has sanctioned so far only Rs 600 crore for this project in two years. The Centre has already informed Naidu that it would be bearing all the expenses for Polavaram if it is actually given operational control.
Naidu had disagreed stressing that he will retain control over this project and merely send all the bills to the Centre. The manner in which a project’s estimate has gone up by Rs 20000 crore in 4 years to benefit contractors smacks of open corruption and now Naidu seem to be surpassing YSR era corruption!
