VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday requested Union Minister of Water Resources (Jal Shakti) Gajendra Singh Shakawat to approve the revised cost estimate of the Polavaram Project as recommended by his Ministry’s technical advisory committee along with Central water Commission and Polavaram Project Authority (PPA). The Chief Minister, who arrived in New Delhi on Thursday evening as part of his twoday visit to the national capital, called on Gajendra Singh Shakawat and held discussions over the Polavaram project.
He said as per the revised cost estimates at 2017-18 price level, the estimated cost of polavaram project comes to Rs 55,656.87 crore and sought approval at the earliest, so project works including land acquisition and R&R could be completed as per schedule by June, 2022. Earlier the CM called on Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar and requested him to solve some problems in environmental clearances regarding stocking works of Polavaram project.
Later in the day, he met Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar and discussed various development issues. During the discussion, the CM explained the various programmes undertaken under the Housing For Poor Scheme. He said 30.76 lakh house site pattas were distributed across the State for which 67,381 acres of land was acquired leading to creation of 17,005 new colonies. He requested Kumar to make the cost for development of infrastructure in those colonies as a part of assistance given to the State under the PMAY programme.
‘OPPN POLITICISING CM’S DELHI VISITS’
MAUD Minister Botcha Satyanarayana said on Wednesday that Opposition parties, particularly the TDP, were trying to politicise CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy visits to New Delhi. Speaking to the media, he said the CM’s visit to Delhi was only to protect the interests of the State and seek funds. He said the TDP, instead of giving constructive suggestions, was saying that the CM had gone to Delhi to get the cases against him quashed
EXPEDITE LARR OF POLAVARAM: MOJS
The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti asked the Andhra Pradesh government to expedite the R&R of displaced families of Polavaram Irrigation Project as the flood season is set to begin and close to 10,000 of the families are yet to be moved. The State officials, however, pushed for the approval of the long-pending RCE and requested that the component-wise price restriction be relaxed until the approval is given as the delay was affecting the execution