Andhra Pradesh Ryotu Sangham, an agricultural wing of Communist Party of India (CPI), has urged the State government to complete the Polavaram project immediately by making necessary budgetary provisions. The Sangham will stage demonstrations at all mandal headquarters in the State on December 22 to mount pressure on the government.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Sangham State president Ravula Venkaiah said that the State government has been claiming that it would complete the project in the next three years. But, the budget allocations for this year did not cross even Rs. 350 crores. While the State government has earmarked Rs. 139 crore, the Centre would release Rs. 200 crore, he said.
The project cost has escalated to Rs. 20,000 crore from initial estimates of Rs. 16,000 crore. There is a gross mismatch between estimates, claims and allocations. How the government will complete the project in three years with this kind of peanut allocations, he asked.
On the top, Irrigation Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao has come up with another proposal to construct a Lift Irrigation (LI) scheme at Pattiseema. The Minister proposes to lift 70 tmc of Godavari water into river Krishna. He claims that 70 tmc was in addition to 80 tmc capacity of Polavaram project.
Doubts, suspicionsThe Minister’s announcement gives rise to many doubts. When the government was poised to complete the Polavaram project in three years where is the need for another LI ? From where will the government get an additional of 70 tmc for the LI and place of storage, are some of the questions that are unanaswered, for which farmers and the general public need to have answers, he said.
“The TDP government’s intentions to construct the LI gives scope to suspicion that it wants to protest its interests in Telangana. The Telugu Desam seems to be more concerned about safeguarding its interests in Telangana State by minimising the inundation of villages in Telangana,” he alleged.
Sangham State general secretary Malneedu Yalamanda Rao spoke.
