Polavaram contractors paid Rs 2347 Cr excess ; YSRC alleges loot

By Newsmeter Network  Published on  2 Dec 2019 4:01 PM GMT
Polavaram contractors paid Rs 2347 Cr excess ; YSRC alleges loot

Highlights

  • Centre informs Rajyasabha
  • No codal violation

Hyderabad: Centre on Monday informed Rajya Sabha that around Rs 2347 Cr had been paid in excess to Polavaram contractor.

YSRC Congress MP V Vijayasai Reddy has asked a question in RajyaSabha that the Committee set up by AP Government to look into irregularities in Polavaram project has submitted a report indicating a benefit of Rs 2343 crore have been additionally given to Transstroy and others. The MP also asked whether it is a fact that the Committee concluded Rs 787 crores were paid to Navayuga company for Polavaram power project violating rules.

Replying to this, Minister of State for Jal Shakti and Social Justice and Empowerment Rattan Lal Kataria said,” As per Central Water Commission, Expert Committee was constituted by Government of Andhra Pradesh. The Committee has reported payment of the excess amount of Rs.2347 reported. The report was submitted in July 2019,”

Due to the revision of agreement rates, Rs, 1331 crore has been paid and interest on mobilization advance Rs 84.4 crore has been paid. And around Rs 144.22 crore paid through impress and Rs 787 crore as advance before handing over of the hydroelectric project. YSR Congress has been pointing finger at former AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's regime for the excess payments.

State Government on November 13-2019 has intimated that, the views of the Expert Committee are preliminary in nature. “There are no procedural or codal violations with regard to the above decisions. All decisions have been taken after obtaining the approval of the competent authority. Further, the action is dependent upon the report of the Vigilance & Enforcement Department of the State Government in this regard,” said the central minister.

The Second Revised Cost Estimate of Polavaram Irrigation Project at 2017-18 Price Level (PL) was examined in Central Water Commission (CWC) and accepted by the Advisory Committee of Department of Water Resources, for an amount of Rs.55,549 crore.

Recently an agreement has been concluded for the construction of balance headworks of Polavaram irrigation project in November 2019 for Rs.1548 crore by December 2021. Also, an agreement has been concluded for the completion of balance work of Left Side connectivity of Head Works with in November 2019 for Rs.231 crore by the end of May 2021.

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