BJP Confirms Central Support for Polavaram Project: A Political Tug of War

Andhra Pradesh BJP chief D Purandeswari affirmed that the NDA-led union government would extend support to the Polavaram Project, pending a formal request from the state government. She criticized the previous YSRCP government for delays and emphasized the Central government's continuous cooperation. The project, located on the river Godavari, aims to irrigate extensive land area and generate hydropower.

In a bold assertion, Andhra Pradesh BJP chief D Purandeswari declared on Monday that the NDA-led union government stands ready to extend support to the Polavaram Project as soon as the state government requests it.

Speaking to a vernacular news channel, Purandeswari accused the previous YSRCP government, led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, of neglecting the project. ''Definitely, the Central government will extend its support immediately after the state government asks for it,'' she emphasized.

The current NDA government in Andhra Pradesh, comprising TDP, BJP, and Janasena, is headed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. According to Purandeswari, the Central government 'has been extending its cooperation' to Polavaram from its inception as a national project. She mentioned delays in bill submissions by the state government but assured that funds are promptly released once bills are properly submitted.

Purandeswari further alleged that the previous YSRCP regime failed to advance the project, highlighting serious damage sustained during past floods, such as the affected diaphragm wall and cofferdam. On Monday, Chief Minister Naidu visited the site to assess the situation.

Located on the river Godavari near Ramayyapeta village, Polavaram Project is a significant multi-purpose irrigation venture aimed at irrigating over 4.3 lakh hectares of land, generating 960 MW of hydropower, and supplying drinking water to nearly 30 lakh people in 611 villages. It also plans to divert 80 TMC of water to the Krishna river basin.