N Vijay Kumar, secretary of 'AP Telugu Farmers Association' wrote a column today for a Telugu daily in which he acknowledged that the objectives of Pattiseema and Polavaram projects were the same.
Yet, he supported the Pattiseema project on the grounds that it was an alternative to Polavaram.
“The government says that Polavaram will be completed in four years’ time. That would make Pattiseema redundant. But it is highly doubtful given the current financial situation of the State whether Polavaram can be completed in four years. Hence Pattiseema is a good option,” said Vijay Kumar and he is right in what he said.
But the TDP is once again guilty of making false promises. It knows very well that it cannot complete Polavaram in the stipulated period. In the meanwhile, Naidu needs water for the new capital region. Hence, the Pattiseema project, accompanied by the bravado that it will be completed in one year.
The contracts have been awarded at 22% excess, 17% more than the stipulated 5% on the condition that it is completed in one year. Assuming that the project is not completed within one year, the contractors would be deprived of the 17% bonus. But their 5% excess will be safe and they can make up for the remaining 22% if not more by citing inflation, a scam that all companies resort to.
Naidu could have said that he will complete Polavaram as soon as possible. Why utter impossible deadlines and then try to bulldoze his way through?
