That Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has compromised on the special financial package in lieu of special category issue just for the sake of Polavaram project was evident from the way his government issued a GO on war footing to benefit the project contractor.
Within hours of the Centre announcing the special financial package, the Naidu government issued a government order (GO Ms No. 96 dated September 8, 2016), allotting spillway works of Polavaram project worth Rs 5,535 crore to Transstroy company. Needless to say, the company belongs to the TDP Lok Sabha member from Narsaraopet Rayapati Sambasiva Rao.
The package clearly said that the Centre would bear the entire cost of Polavaram irrigation project, but the execution would be done by the state government itself. This condition has been relaxed under pressure from Naidu only to benefit the Rayapati’s company.
For this, the chief minister has compromised on special category status, say sources.
