Centre To Pay For Polavaram Revised Estimates As of April 1, 2014: Jal Shakti Minster in Rajya Sabha

RAJYA SABHA Day 4| Parliament Monsoon Session: The cost of headworks has gone up from Rs 5,535 crore to Rs 7,192 crore due to changes in Polavaram headworks designs, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat told the Rajya Sabha on Monday. In a written reply to a question posed by YSRCP MP V. Vijayasai Reddy, the Minister however skipped the answer without directly stating that the Center would bear the additional cost incurred due to the change in designs at Polavaram Headworks. The Minister reiterated that as on April 1, 2014, only the estimated cost of the Polavaram Project Irrigation works would be borne by the Central Government.

He further stated that the Government of Andhra Pradesh is responsible for the construction of the Polavaram Irrigation Project. In addition to the construction plan, the State government is also responsible for designing the designs for the various sections of the project.

The Jal Shakti Minister said the project designs would have to be put into practice only after the Central Water Commission (CWC) examines and approves after they comply with the rules and regulations of the Godavari Waters Tribunal. According to information provided by the Government of AP, the CWC has made changes to the designs of some aspects of the project. The changes include raising the height of the upper and lower cofferdams, increasing the depth of the foundations, raising concrete grades in the deep blocks of the spillway, constructing cutoffs with a diaphragm wall on the left side of the upper cofferdam, chipping works on the gate grooves, and spillway works.

Preliminary Study on setting up of Multi-Model Logistics Park in Vizag and Vijayawada

Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that a preliminary study on setting up a Multi Model Logistics Park (MMLP) in Visakhapatnam is underway. Responding to a question by V Vijayasai Reddy, the Minister directed the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs to set up multi-modal logistics parks in 35 cities across the country. Among the cities identified for setting up logistics parks are Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. The Minister said a preliminary study would be conducted to assess the feasibility of supply and demand in the area before developing the MMLP. The study on the formation of MMLP in Vijayawada has been completed. The Minister said the study revealed that there was currently not as much demand for multi-model logistics parks as expected. He said a preliminary study of this nature was going on in Visakhapatnam.