"List Polavaram As National Project"

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Thursday called on Union Minister for Water Resources Salman Khursheed in the Parliament and submitted a memorandum on the Pranahita-Chevella, Polavaram and other irrigation projects, during his one-day visit to New Delhi.

The Chief Minister had also met Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad at his residence, and had requested him to take up the Rajiv Aarogyasri Health scheme as a national scheme.

The CM also met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her political advisor Ahmed Patel later in the day.

During his meeting with Khursheed, the Chief Minister had requested him to declare the Indira Sagar (Polavaram) Project as a National Project.

Kiran Kumar Reddy pointed out to the minister that a proposal had been submitted to the Ministry of Water Resources through the Central Water Commission for according the status of National Project to Indira Sagar (Polavaram) Project, as per the guidelines prepared by the Ministry of Water Resources for the implementation of the scheme of National Projects.

The project envisages utilizing 301 TMC of water for irrigating 7.21 lakh acres of land in Andhra Pradesh. This multi-purpose project had been accorded all the necessary clearances for declaration as a National Project.

The state government had already spent Rs. 3,557 crores for this project till October 2010. The status of National Project will help the Government of Andhra Pradesh get 90% of the eligible project cost, which would help expedite the completion of this project.

The Chief Minister pointed out that, as advised by the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) of the Ministry of Finance, the project's cost had been re-cast according to the 2010-11 SSR rates and the revised project had been approved by the Ministry of Water Resources at Rs. 16,010.45 crore. Accordingly, the state government had requested the planning commission to accord the revised investment clearance for the cost, as approved by the Ministry of Water Resources.

Kiran Kumar Reddy also requested the minister to consider listing the Dr. B R Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella Sujala Sravanthi Project as a National Project.

He urged Khursheed to keep in mind the fact that the Pranahita-Chevella Sujala Sravanthi Project is already included in the Prime Minister's Package, and take a positive decision. Kiran Kumar Reddy also pointed out that the benefits envisaged under the project cover 7 drought prone and backward districts of the Telangana region, and said that it would immensely help in maintaining regional balance in the state.

The Chief Minister also requested for AIBP assistance for Krishna Delta modernization in the Dr. K L Rao Sagar (Pulichintala) Project.

The proposal for seeking AIBP assistance for Krishna Delta modernization for the Pulichintala Project is being considered by the Ministry of Water Resources, as flood regulatory work. Kiran Kumar Reddy told Khursheed that it is understood that the Water Resources Ministry had forwarded this proposal to the Planning Commission to clarify the extent of the flood prone area covered by this project.

The Chief Minister had urged the Union Minister to expedite the process, and to set up a permanent mechanism for the redressal of interstate river water disputes.

Apart from this, the Chief Minister also requested the Union Finance Minister for a financial assistance of Rs. 46.20 crore for the Rajiv Aarogyasri Community Health Insurance Scheme, Rs. 65 crore for Emergency Medical Transport Services, and Rs. 77 crore for Health Information Management Services, under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

Kiran Kumar Reddy also requested Azad to sanction an additional grant of Rs. 53 crore for Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS).

Courtesy: INN