Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has been focusing on taking up the Banakacharla river linkage project at an estimated cost of Rs 80,000 crore as a growth engine for Rayalaseema region. Though he has been seeking central assistance, till now there is no positive response.
While state government’s poor financial situation is causing worry on how to mobilize resources for this project, engineering experts are expressing concerns stating that Chief Minister is choosing `Kaleswaram Model’, without bothering the how much burden that has been placed on people of Telangana, more than advantages they are getting.
It is open secret that politicians, government officials and contracting companies have benefited more than the farmers from Kaleshwaram project. Some barrages in Kaleshwaram are now turned useless. Hundreds of crores of rupees will have to be spent again to restore them.
Official sources deplored that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, without learning any lessons from the Kaleshwaram experience, is also going to drop a large-scale financial bomb on the people of the state. Chandrababu, who only talked about Amaravati and Polavaram projects before the elections, has been showing immense love for the Jalaharati and Banakacharla projects since coming to power.
Moreover, engineering experts are expressing reservations over the feasibility of this project. On Thursday, the AP Cabinet decided to set up a Jalaharati Corporation to undertake this project on the lines of Kaleshwaram. Through this, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be set up for the Banakacharla project.
Although the cost of the Banakacharla project is currently projected at Rs 80,000 crore, irrigation officials are saying that there is no need to be surprised if it crosses Rs 1 lakh crore on the lines of Kaleshwaram by the time it is completed.
The Chandrababu government is now constantly borrowing large amounts of money for its routine needs. On the other hand, it is being said that Polavaram, which is like the lifeline of the state, will be completed in the next three years. In that case, experts suggest that it would be better to focus on completing the projects that have already been started and then focus on Banakacharla.
But since the coalition government came to power in AP, it is said that strong forces have been working behind the scenes to bring forward the Banakacharla project. Many in the government fear that taking up this project will certainly push several pending irrigation projects into cold storage.
