Ambati lashes out at CM Naidu for false propaganda on Polavaram project

Former Minister Ambati Rambabu came down heavily on  Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for spreading false propaganda and making baseless allegations against former  Chief Ministers YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and the late Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy regarding Polavaram Project

Speaking to the media in Guntur here on Wednesday, the former minister stated that the former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had worked tirelessly to secure Rs. 12,157 crore from the Central Government for the completion of the first phase of the Polavaram project, which involves water storage at 41.15 metres. He reminded that this approval was granted after several discussions with the Prime Minister and the then Minister of Jal Shakti by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and slammed CM Naidu for trying to take credit for it.

Rambabu asserted that the  setbacks and financial losses incurred by the project are due to Chandrababu’s hasty and ill-conceived decisions and it was clearly outlined in an international expert committee’s report. He pointed out  that Chandrababu’s intentions were to profit from the project by handing contracts to preferred contractors. He flayed Naidu for blaming the former chief minister late Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy for delays in the Polavaram project, noting that 90% of the right canal was completed during YSR's tenure, which was later utilised as part of the Pattiseema project.

He reminded that it was  Chandrababu, who agreed  to outdated rates for the project in 2016, which ultimately benefited contractors rather than the people. He also questioned why Chandrababu accepted the lower rate of Rs. 15,668 crore from the Center, despite the project being valued at Rs. 20,398 crore, of which the state had already spent Rs. 4,730.71 crore. He mentioned that after Jagan Reddy became Chief Minister, the government sought Rs. 55,656 crore for Polavaram from the centre. The central government approved Rs. 47,725 crore, with the first stage estimated at Rs. 31,625 crore, later revised to Rs. 30,436 crore. Chandrababu allegedly blocked this process.

Referring to the cancellation of the reverse tendering process, Ambati Rambabu stated that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy introduced reverse tendering for transparency, saving Rs 850 crore in the Polavaram project alone. He criticised Chandrababu Naidu's government for cancelling this system, reopening the doors to corruption, and promoting the misuse of public funds through questionable policies.