Polavaram authority says project not under Andhra panel purview

The Polavaram Project Authority (PPA), a body constituted by the Union Jal Shakti ministry that oversees the Rs 50,000 crore Polavaram irrigation project, has found fault with the Andhra Pradesh government’s review of the project by appointing an expert committee. In an 18-page report submitted to the Union Jal Shakti ministry, the PPA said that the Polavaram project — which holds national project status — doesn’t come under the scope of the expert committee appointed by the YS Jaganmohan Reddy-led government. ET has seen a copy of the PPA’s report.

The YSR Congress government had decided to terminate and re-tender the Polavaram irrigation and hydel power plant works being executed by Navayuga Engineering, claiming that the expert committee had found violations in awarding the works to the Hyderabad-based infrastructure firm.