The fate of Polavaram Project hangs in balance as new irrigation minister Ambati Rambabu raised the issue. He opened the damage issue immediately after taking charge. Though politically Rambabu has every right to shift the blame on the previous TDP government, technically he pushed the present government into controversy.
On Sunday, the Minister said that the damage to the diaphragm wall was noticed in March 2020. The same was raised in the meeting of the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA), he said.
If Rambabu is to be believed, why did his predecessor Anil Kumar remain silent on this? Why did he not reveal it and blame it on the TDP regime? Why is Ambati raising the issue now?
If the damage issue was raised in the PPA meeting, what did the PPA do since then? What did the Central Water Commission (CWC) do? What is the Union Jal Shakti Ministry doing?
Rambabu himself admitted that he is not an expert nor an engineer. But, how did he notice the damage, which his predecessor could not?
Polavaram Project is the national project funded by the Central government but being constructed by the State government. This facility was taken from the Central government when Chandrababu Naidu was the chief minister.
If the YSR Congress government is trying to take shelter by shifting the blame on to the TDP regime, what made it remain silent for all these days?
If the 2019-20 floods have caused damage to the diaphragm wall, what was the YSR Congress government doing for the past two years?
These are the questions that the YSR Congress government has to answer. The answer would decide the fate of the prestigious project.
