How Centre Can Renege On Polavaram – Prof K Nageshwar

The central government’s latest retreat on the coveted Polavaram project is yet another example of blatant betrayal of Andhra Pradesh.

Polavaram and special category status were the promises made to the Seemandhra people during the bifurcation. Therefore, the very act of bifurcation executed against the interests of the people of this region is predicated upon these crucial promises. Therefore reneging on these promises is absolutely unacceptable.

The centre has already betrayed on the question of special category status. Now, the centre says it would only fund the construction of the Polavaram project but is not responsible for the expenditure towards land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement for the project. Besides, the centre argues that the 2013-14 price level will be taken into account to arrive at the central fiscal obligation instead of 2017-18 prices. This results in a huge difference in what the centre would give and what is required to complete the project.

The central government, thus says it would fund over Rs.20,000 crore while the state government estimates that the centre has to provide around Rs.55,000 crore.

The centre is obliged to complete the Polavaram project. The construction and the rehabilitation and resettlement cannot be delinked. The state government has taken up only the execution of the project.

If the centre refuses to finance over 30000 crore land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement expenditure, the completion of Polavaram project itself will be jinxed. The Polavaram project is considered as the lifeline of Andhra Pradesh beleaguered by the bifurcation contrary to the interests of the people of this region.

A similar act of betrayal continues to haunt the state. Polavaram was part of the bifurcation act and the special status was the Prime minister’s assurance in Parliament on the eve of the bifurcation. Thus, the centre reneges on two of these crucial promises.

The political pusillanimity incapacitates the political parties in the state from waging a credible fight on these two issues. The centre exploits this weakness in the political system of Andhra Pradesh.

The TDP and the YSRCP competed with each other to move a no-confidence motion against Modi 1.0 government on the special status. But, both the parties are conspicuously silent now barring occasional noises aimed at political aggrandisement.

Now, on Polavaram too instead of uniting for the interests of the state, both the YSR Congress and the TDP are keen on fighting with each other rather than cornering the BJP that heads the central government.

By – Prof K Nageshwar

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