Naidu Says Rs 39,000 Crore More Required For Polavaram Project, Compares It To Sardar Sarovar

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today (18 September) said that Rs 39,000 crore more would be required to complete the multi-purpose Polavaram irrigation project on the Godavari river in the state.

So far, Rs 13,000 crore has been spent on the project, including on land acquisition and, rehabilitation and resettlement. In the last three-and-a-half years, the Centre has released Rs 3,350 crore for it, which has since been declared a national project.

"It (Centre) has to immediately release Rs 3,850 crore more," Naidu said, adding, "Land acquisition and rehabilitation and resettlement will cost Rs 32,000 crore of which we have so far spent about Rs 6,000 crore".

The actual project cost is Rs 15,000 crore, of which so far the state government has spent Rs 7,000 crore. The Centre is in the process of looking at revised estimates from the state government and approving them.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the Sardar Sarovar project to the nation yesterday. Polavaram will be the only such project to be dedicated to the nation next. There is no other project like this now. Polavaram will be a national asset," said Naidu.

Given the importance of the project, "which is the 'lifeline of AP' and a symbol of development," Naidu said he has so far carried out 19 inspections physically and 40 inspections virtually.

"We are determined to complete it by 2018. It will create a new ayacut – an area served by an irrigation project such as a canal, dam or a tank – of 7.22 lakh acres. Very soon we will invite tenders for the hydro power unit that is part of the Polavaram project," he said. PTI