Congress Rajya Sabha member Dr KVP Ramachandra Rao today challenged Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister for a public debate on Polavaram project in Vijayawada or any other place. In a letter to the Chief Minister, he has strongly condemned TDP’s fabrication campaign against Congress regarding the Polavaram project.

Demanding the government to put forth facts about Polavaram project by publishing a white paper for the people, he also deplored over Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao’s repeated abusive allegations against him.

He recalled that when similar accusations were made against Congress government, they had conducted open debates at the sites of 31 projects. He questioned as to why Chandrababu Naidu is hesitating for an open debate on Polavaram.

Just five days ago, in an open letter to the Chief Minister, Ramachandra Rao has demanded to release a white paper on Polavaram Project. He said that Chandrababu has been making false statements on Polavaram Project. He accused that the CM has mortgaged the special status issue with the Centre only to swindle funds in Polavaram Project.

He further disputed about Chandrababu taking the credit over Polavaram project and said that TDP did not have even a percent of role in realisation of this project. He advised the Chief Minister not to distort the facts and reminded that the actual name of this project was Indira Sagar, but Chandrababu changed this name to Polavaram irrigation project by a GO.

Rao took severe objection to Naidu’s claims that the opposition parties are against the project creating obstacles. He recalled that it was at the behest of Chandrababu, then in opposition, cases were filed against land acquisition and works were stopped.

Meanwhile, AP Congress Committee President Dr N Raghuveera Reddy also demanded for open debate at project site on corruption charges. He accused that project cost estimates are hiked by thousands of crores of rupees ignoring the objections raised by the finance department.