Political Diary

Between January and May, about Rs 1,800 crore worth of works have been done while the payments made were around Rs 1,680 crore. The slow down in payment has affected the progress of works and at some places the contractors are reported to have stopped works.

In view of this, the chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy on Tuesday held a review meeting with major irrigation minister P Lakshmaiah. He asked Lakshmaiah to talk to the contractors and see that the schedule of the works was maintained.

Later talking to media, Lakshmaiah said the state government had never delayed payments to the contractors in the last five years but due to the impact of global slowdown there has been some problem in clearing the bills on time. He appealed to the contractors not to stop work or slow down the pace. "There may be some delay but it will be paid, the contractors need not worry about it," he said and sought their cooperation.

The minister said that the state government was making all-out efforts to get more funds from the Centre, both by trying to make them agree to take up seven irrigation projects as national projects and also to get bigger share under the accelerated irrigation benefit programme (AIBP).

He said, the chief minister will submit a detailed report on the progress of irrigation projects to the prime minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to New Delhi on June 18 and will urge the Centre to take up seven irrigation projects as national projects.

The state government had already sent proposals to the Centre recommending that Polavaram, Pulichintala, Pranahita-Chevella, Dummugudem tailpond and Kantalapalli Sujala Sravanthi, Devadula and Yellampalli projects be taken up as national projects.

According to sources, the Centre had already examined the proposal of Polavaram project but no decision has been taken yet.The review meeting also decided to speed up diversion of Budameru water diversion works in consultation with Vijayawada Thermal Power Station, problem of inundation at Vizag airport, construction of flood banks on Vamasadhara, Nagavalli and Godavari rivers etc.

Meanwhile, the chief minister re-allocated the portfolio of A P Water Resources Development Corporation hitherto held by Sunitha Laxma Reddy to Lakshmaiah. This portfolio includes AP Irrigation Development Corporation, lift irrigation, ground water development, WALAMTARI.