-CM acted cowardly before Jal Shakti Minister: Devineni Uma
-Jagan mortgaging AP projects for his CBI cases
AMARAVATI: TDP former Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao on Saturday strongly criticised Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for ‘not making’ any efforts to get the Central financial clearance for the already approved Rs. 55,548 Cr cost for the Polavaram project.
Devineni Uma termed it as highly objectionable that the CM was bargaining for the Polavaram funds in a cowardly manner during yesterday’s visit of the Union Jal Shakti Minister to the dam.
Addressing a press conference here, the TDP leader asked how CM Jagan could ask for a decreased cost of Rs. 47,725 Cr if the Centre was not ready to concede Rs. 55,548 Cr. Why was the Chief Minister trying to reduce Polavaram into a barrage instead of protecting it as a lifeline project for over 50 lakh farmers?
Devineni Uma accused the CM of mortgaging the interests of the State farmers to the Centre for the sake of his CBI-ED cases and his party MP Avinash Reddy’s cases. During the TDP regime itself, the Polavaram project got approval for its DPR-2 at a cost of Rs. 55,548 Cr. The technical advisory committee has cleared this. Still, the YCP regime was not pressing for this.
The TDP leader asked why the ruling YSRCP was not able to bring pressure on the Centre despite having over 28 MPs in the Parliament. The CM was compromising on the AP interests at the national level for the sake of his selfish personal agenda. If Polavaram was completed, over 960 MW hydel power would have been available offering Re 1 per unit power to AP by now.
Devineni Uma deplored that the Jagan regime was interested only in buying power at steep rates of Rs. 15 to Rs 20 per unit in the market. No efforts were made to complete Polavaram as per the announced deadlines. Jagan Reddy diverted Rs. 4,500 Cr Central funds released to pay Polavaram bills and paid these funds to the liquor contractors.
The TDP leader asked who gave the right to the YSRCP rulers to convert Polavaram into a lift irrigation project. Jagan Reddy said Polavaram would be completed by June, 2021 but could not do so. Later, he promised to give Polavaram water to farmers by the 2022 kharif season. It also did not materialise.
Devineni Uma recalled how Irrigation Minister Anil Kumar Yadav spoke of completing Polavaram by the end of 2021. Now, the Union Minister himself said the project works were not going along expected lines. The Jal Shakti Minister also said the project works would have to be reviewed every 15 days from now on. This only exposed the ineffectiveness of the YSRCP regime.
