Jana Sena Party (JSP) supremo K. Pawan Kalyan on Tuesday proposed to impose a special cess and crowdfunding to raise funds required to complete the Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) component for the 1.6 lakh displaced families of the Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh State.
Addressing the gathering here in Eluru district, Mr. Pawan said, “It is a fact that completion of the Polavaram R&R package is a major challenge. I will seek some financial aid from the Centre for it. The rest can be raised by imposing a special cess for half the year. However, five crore people of Andhra Pradesh need to come forward to support the proposed special cess.”
Mr. Pawan has stated that barely 7,000 families among the 1.6 lakh Polavaram-displaced families have so far received the complete Resettlement and Rehabilitation package.
Aiming at completing the Polavaram R&R exercise and commissioning the project by 2027, Mr. Pawan has launched a crowdfunding initiative to raise the fund for the Polavaram R&R component by announcing ₹1 crore aid from his savings. Eluru TDP MP contestant Putta Mahesh also announced ₹1 crore aid towards the Polavaram R&R component.
Helpless centre
“The Central leaders have assured to complete the construction of the Polavaram project. However, they find it difficult to fund the R&R package, for which ₹33,000 crore is needed. Jal Shakthi Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has stated that Andhra Pradesh sees the Polavaram project as an ATM. The package required for the R&R is equal to the revenue generated on the liquor trade in Andhra Pradesh,” said Mr. Pawan.
Regrading support from the Kapu community for JSP, Mr. Pawan said, “I would have been in the power in Andhra Pradesh had the entire Kapu community been with me. I admit that I am not the leader of any community.” On the possibility of banning liquor trade in Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Pawan has clarified that the liquor ban would be the ‘choice of the respective village’, in which 70 percent of people’s consent would be considered as a deciding factor.
