Taking objection to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on the Polavaram irrigation project, and the hue-and-cry being created over it by the YSR Congress Party, Minister for Irrigation Devineni Umamaheswara Rao said on Wednesday that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was ready to give a point-by-point clarification.
Addressing the media here, Mr. Umamaheswara Rao said the State government had not resorted to diversion of funds nor misused them as alleged by YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
“Mr. Jagan has no moral right to criticise the government over the alleged corruption in the project when he himself is mired in several court cases pertaining to corrupt practices,” the Minister said.
“Mr. Jagan is unable to speak about people’s problems during his padayatra. He does not have the courage to question us on Floor of the Assembly,” the Minister said. “The Centre is yet to release ₹2,960 crore towards the project. In a day or two, the State government will be despatching the papers (weighing 300 kg) sought by the Centre for the release of funds,” he said.
Water from Jeedipalli
“The Jeedipalli dam is receiving 1,000 cusecs of water will be released to fill all the tanks in the upland areas of Hindupur, Madakasira, and Penukonda,” he said.
Later, as part of the preparations for the 2019 elections, a coordination committee meeting of the party was held. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu would visit the district during the second week of October and address a public meeting in Kalyandurg constituency, it was announced.
