Justify Polavaram cost escalation, says Union Minister Nitin Gadkari

Promises to help A.P. to complete the project by Feb. 2019

Asserting that the Central government has no political agenda in the implementation of the Polavaram project, Union Minister for Water Resources Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the steep hike in cost had to be justified by the Andhra Pradesh government, while he promised to help it out in completing the project by February 2019.

He, however, refused to elaborate what the justification meant, insisting that the Central and State governments had no differences on the project and that the matters were technical in nature.

Addressing presspersons along with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu at the under-construction spillway here, Mr. Gadkari said the delays in giving clearances were only due to technical issues which he wanted Mr. Naidu and his team of officials to discuss with those in the Ministry of Water Resources and its agencies — WAPCOS and the Central Water Commission.

Mr. Gadkari claimed to have instructed his officials to exclusively deal with the matters thereof for three full days along with Mr. Naidu and his delegation and that he would then send the proposals for necessary clearances from the Finance Ministry in eight days.

Mr. Gadkari said the Chief Minister pegged the revised project cost at ?57,940 crore.