AP Demands Centre Remove Telangana From Polavaram Project Authority

After successfully engineering the transfer of the 7 mandals from Telangana to AP, claiming it to make rehabilitation measures easier for the people displaced by the project, AP is now claiming that Telangana has no stake in Polavaram project as the project is geographically no more in Telangana’s territory. So AP is now demanding Centre to kick out Telangana from the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA), the special purpose vehicle created to implement the mammoth project, under the AP Reorganisation Act.

The Telangana government on Thursday appointed its chief secretary Rajiv Sharma and the relief and rehabilitation commissioner as the state’s nominees in Polavaram Project Authority (PPA). That raised curtains on yet an another drama by AP CM Chandrababu Naidu. He decided to lodge a complaint with the Union water resources ministry

AP’s argument is that the AP Reorganisation Act has been amended by Parliament and all mandals which are facing submergence have been shifted to AP. The proposal to include Telangana state in the Authority was mooted much before the amendment so it can’t be the same now. But AP doesn’t seem to acknowledge that the amendment made only transferred the 7 mandals but didn’t amend the PPA structure! But going by the way the BJP Govt at Centre is supporting every violation of AP with regard to the AP Reorganisation Act, AP is emboldened to take such a stance. And it won’t even be a surprise if it can pull this off!

The multi-purpose Polavaram project is expected to irrigate 2.91 lakh hectares, generate 960 MW of power and supply 23.4 TMC drinking water to Visakhapatnam city and Vizag steel plant. It will also facilitate an inter-basin transfer of 80 TMC feet to the Krishna river basin annually. Telangana losing representation in PPA would mean it won’t get any of the power generated nor it can have a stake in the waters of Polavaram reservoir.

As per the Act, the PPA would be an autonomous body under the Union water resources ministry under the chairmanship of a chief executive officer (of the rank of additional secretary) to be appointed by the Centre.  So, Andhra Pradesh government is asking the Centre to amend the composition of the Polavaram Project Authority and remove all the Telangana officials in the body. Andhra Pradesh is also pointing out that after the transfer of seven mandals, the relief and rehabilitation of displaced villagers would also be its responsibility. The PPA consists of Chief Secretaries, Secretaries of irrigation and Commissioners of Land acquisition and Rehabilitation of both the States. An additional secretary level officer of GoI would be the Chief Executive Officer of the PPA. Now Andhra Pradesh wants the Telangana officers to be removed from the authority and appoint a secretary cadre officer of A.P. as the CEO.

The government is also asking amendments to the effect that only A.P. employees be deployed on deputation to the PPA. As per AP, the provision for distribution of power generated from the Polavaram project between the two successor States, as mandated by the AP Reorganisation Act, should also be amended to enable AP to consume all power.

So in effect AP is arguing Telangana which parted with 7 mandals of Khammam, would have zero benefits from the project while Centre would implement the Polavaram Project with Rs 20,000 Cr of central funds and hand it over to AP to enjoy water and power for itself. And yes, Telangana would continue to get lectured over tolerance and Telugu brotherhood by the Naidu brothers!