In a major step forward to the efforts of the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to complete ambitious Polavaram irrigation project before 2019 polls, today he received a cheque of Rs 1981 crore from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

The cheque worth of Rs.1981cr is the 1st instalment of proposed loan to the project. Union Minister for water resources Uma Bharti who handed over the cheque at a special function in New Delhi, said that it is for the first time in Indian history that NABARD is funding for irrigation projects. After Narendra Modi government declared the project as a national project, it has assured to provide all the expenses involved in it. She assured to provide whatever assistance needed for the early completion of this project.

Union Minister Arun Jaitley who was also present, said that the central government is serious in fulfilling its commitments to Andhra Pradesh, particularly for the completion of this project. He also indicated that more assistance would be provided for the development of AP and added that the Central government is priortizing the irrigation projects.

Thanking the Union Government for its pro-active assistance in the construction of this multi-purpose project, Chadnrababu Naidu assured that they would complete the same at a record time. This would put an end to drought situations in the state, he said.

Stating that the major dam construction would be completed by 2018, he said he has been personally monitoring its progress. Stating that till now he had personally inspected the project site 11 times, he said he has been conducting a review meeting on every Monday.

Deploring that the efforts started by Vajapayee regime for linking up of major rivers in the country by constituting a task force were diluted ruing UPA regime, he is hopeful Narendra Modi regime would give a boost to such efforts. Union Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu and Y Sujana Choudary were also present.