YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy has said the Telugu Desam government is deliberately sidelining Polavaram project and taking up Pattiseema project to benefit contractors.
“Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu was neglecting Polavaram project and focusing on Pattiseema project with ulterior motives,” alleged Mr. Reddy after inspecting Prakasam Barrage here on Thursday.
Prakasam Barrage has a capacity to store only 3 tmcft water and if Godavari water was diverted there is no provision for storing water since Pattiseema project lacks any storage facility. Every year both Krishna and Godavari rivers waters were released into sea during August to October period and to avoid this Polavaram project with a storage capacity of 194 tmc ft was planned.
Pattiseema project benefits contractors and water cannot be sent to the arid region due to lack of infrastructure. Interestingly, only two contractors turned up for tenders, quoting 22 per cent excess and the government assured them to grant the contracts, he alleged amid cheers and whistles from the gathering.
