Bhumi puja for Polavaram

Undeterred by the legal and political row, bhumi pooja was held for the ambitious multi-crore Polavaram project here on Friday. The puja was held for the head works of the project at Angaluru village.

State Farmers’ Samithi president MV Suryanrayana Raju, Transstroy representatives attended the function. Transstroy Executive Director, Sambasiva Rao said that they will complete the work within three years.

The ambitious project, which will connect Godavari and Krishna rivers, is facing stiff resistance as it will submerge many villages displacing over two lakh people, mostly tribals in Orissa, Chattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. On the other hand, the allotment of tenders had been keenly contested and the bids had to be cancelled on earlier occasions, the last of the awardee being Transstroy-UES consortium. The bid was contested at various levels and the credentials of the Russian-based company came under scanner.

Yet the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy cleared the file and awarded the Rs 4,054 crore project to Transstroy for construction of rockfill dam, spillway and penstock for a power house.

While Telangana Jagruthi leader Kavitha has threatened to launch an agitation and alleged that the high command is involved in the transaction and gave it Guntur MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao and his associates, there were some legal tangles as well. The bids were cancelled twice earlier, following controversies.