Former MP Vundavalli Arun Kumar on Tuesday said he was unable to understand as to how the estimated cost of Polavaram project had increased to ₹40,000 crore.
Speaking to reporters, he said people of the State had pinned hopes on the Polavaram project and there was a feeling among the public that this crucial project was being neglected by the TDP government.
The former MP said he was closely associated with the developments related to the project while he was in office. “When Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy was alive, he discussed almost every aspect of the project with me. In fact, I was almost like a liaison officer appointed in Delhi for the Polavaram project. The Congress party tried to take the project forward but succeeded only partially as the sudden demise of Mr. Rajasekhara Reddy proved to be a major setback,” he said.
‘Irrelevant’
Referring to the Pattiseema and Purushothapatnam projects, he said he had always maintained that they were irrelevant. “I was portrayed as someone who always criticises the ruling party. Today, I stand vindicated after the CAG report reprimanded the Chandrababu Naidu government for the same reason,” he said.
He said after completion of Pattiseema, 8 tmcft of water was brought in the first and in the second year, 49 tmcft of water was drawn while 55 tmcft went waste into the sea. “This is the data collected from the government website. Anybody can verify,” he said.
Foundation stone
Recounting the chronology of project even since it was conceived, he went on to narrate how in 1980 the then Chief Minister T. Anjaiah had laid the foundation stone for it and how it was followed by a series of disputes.
The site clearance for the project was given in September, 2005 while the Congress government, headed by K. Rosaiah sent a proposal with revised estimates and it was approved.
Referring to the ruling party’s warning to people against opposing their projects, Mr. Arun Kumar said in a democratic country, people had the right to move the court of law if they were in disagreement with anything.
He said the Naidu government should focus on completion of the Polavaram project that would prove to be of immense benefit for people of this State.
