The Centre has sanctioned ₹12,911 crore to Andhra Pradesh for phase 1 Polavaram Multipurpose Project. The fund for the project considered the lifeline of AP has been a long-standing demand of the state government under YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The state government disclosed the Central government’s move while state Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was on a visit to Polavaram to review the progress in construction of the dam.
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According to the state government, Union Finance Department Nirmala Sitharaman issued a notification sanctioning ₹12,911.15 crore for the said project which was conveyed to the Central Water Resources Department.
The Union government also agreed to allocate an additional ₹2,000 crore for the construction of the project after the cofferdam was washed away due to floods in river Godavari. The current government has blamed the TDP regime for the weakness in the coffer wall.
The Finance Department has agreed to sanction the funds for the project at the latest rates instead of the 2013-14 rates. The project cost has increased due to the delay in the construction. The Centre has also removed department-wise restrictions on bill payments, claimed the state government.
The chief minister on Tuesday conducted an aerial survey to examin the construction of the upper cofferdam, the lower cofferdam, and the damaged diaphragm wall. The irrigation project has made significant progress, with 79.61per cent of the work completed.
Envisaging Polavaram as a tourist spot in future, he directed officials to draw up an elaborate plan to construct hotels, a bridge, and the required facilities to make the dam a key attraction.