Naidu puts YSRC on the defensive on Pattiseema project

September 02, 2015 06:15 pm | Updated March 28, 2016 02:58 pm IST - HYDERABAD:

The YSR Congress (YSRC) found itself on the defensive in Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Wednesday as its members were found wanting in responding to pointed questions raised by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on its stance on the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Project.

The issue landed the Opposition in an embarrassing situation as the Chief Minister and ruling party members repeatedly insisted on knowing whether or not the YSRC was in favour of the project. Though YSRC deputy leader Jyothula Nehru tried to explain that the party favoured interlinking of the Krishna and Godavari rivers through the Polavaram Project, he did not reply to the specific question as to whether the YSRC favoured the Pattiseema project itself.

Taking advantage of the situation, Mr. Naidu launched a broadside against the Opposition, claiming that the absence of a policy stance on an important issue like the Pattiseema project exposed the “bankruptcy” of the YSR Congress. In a debate of nearly three hours charactgerised by trading of corruption charges between the treasury and opposition benches, Mr. Nehru charged the Government with misusing funds to build a project that was “purely temporary” in nature in that it would serve its purpose for around four years.

The Government should instead have focussed on spending the Rs. 1,300 crore allotted for the Pattiseema project on the Polavaram project, which is a national project, as the Centre would have reimbursed the entire amount spent on it. “We are objecting to the methodology by which the Government is hurriedly going ahead with the project. The machinery and equipment would be rendered useless once the Polavaram project becomes operational,” he said.

Mr. Naidu, however, refuted the charge, claiming that the YSRC appeared to be not in favour of giving water to Rayalaseema by easing pressure on the Krishna river. “Diversion of the Godavari water that is flowing into the sea will enable supply of Krishna water to Rayalaseema through the Srisailam project. The drought-prone region cannot wait for four years for the completion of the Polavaram project to serve its drinking and irrigation requirements,” he said.

When Mr. Nehru questioned the reduction in the carriage capacity of the canals, the Chief Minister said the Government wanted to divert at least 20 to 30 tmc ft of water to the Krishna delta before the end of the season. The carriage capacity of the canals could subsequently be enhanced to ensure that the envisaged quantum of 80 tmc ft was diverted to the delta. As for the machinery and equipment, he said that the Government would transfer the machinery and equipment to other places where lift irrigation projects are being built.

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