Centre takes over Polavaram project - TeluguPeople.com News

Hyderabad : With just two months left for the completion of Andhra Pradesh bifurcation, the Union Cabinet on Thursday approved setting up of Polavaram Development Authority to oversee time-bound completion of the controversial Polavaram project.

This would mean the Centre would completely take over the Polavaram project, which has been declared as national project under the Act.The Cabinet also approved the constitution of an 'apex council' for sharing of Krishna and Godavari river waters between the successor States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

The apex council will comprise the Chief Ministers of both the States and the Union Water Resources Minister. Besides, Krishna and Godavari Water Management Boards will also be formed with each board having a Chairman, two member secretaries, one independent expert and four chief engineers. The members would be identified before the Appointed Day for Telangana, which falls on June 2.

The Cabinet also decided to extend the mandate of Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal, headed by Justice Brijesh Kumar. It would be extended till July 31, 2014 and additional terms of reference would be entrusted to make specific project wise allocation between Seemandhra and Telangana.

An operation protocol will also be prepared for release of water to the projects in both the States in the event of deficit flows.The Cabinet also gave its nod for reconstitution of the Tungabadra Board with Karnataka, Seemandhra and Telangana as members under Section 94 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

On its part, the state government is racing against time to complete the bifurcation process and stepped up the process of segregation of files pertaining to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh States. Chief Secretary PK Mohanty will leave for New Delhi on Friday to brief the Union Cabinet Secretary about the progress of the division process.

According to the report to be submitted to the Union government, the successor State of Andhra Pradesh would have 2.13 lakh current files and 1.85 lakh disposed files, while Telangana would have 2.07 lakh current files and 1.71 lakh disposed files.

The two States would have 1.16 lakh common current files and 1.83 lakh disposed files. Put together, 10.77 lakh files were segregated between the two States.According to official sources, the Centre is confident that all arrangements would be in place by June 2.

By March 31, the Centre had cleared a major chunk of the process related the State's division. Various Union Government departments had achieved the objectives mandated by the AP Reorganisation Act.

Sources said that action was completed by Road Transport and Highways department on improving the connectivity to backward regions of Telangana. The Commerce Department is working on a proposal to establish Visakhapatnam-Chennai industrial corridor.

The Civil Aviation Ministry stated that the work on feasibility studies for expansion of airports at Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Tirupati was yet to begin. Shipping Ministry said that the works on establishment of sea port at Duggarajapatnam were underway.

As far as establishment of IIT, NIT, IIM, IISER and Central universities in Seemandhra is concerned, the HRD Ministry said that the work on obtaining financialfinancial approval was yet to start.

The Centre estimated that it required Rs 1850 crore for the IIT, Rs 1500 crore for NIT, Rs 900 crore for IIM and Rs 1,000 crore for IISER, apart from land allocation. The Power Department said that the state government was yet to send information on availability of water and land for establishing 4,000 mw power plant in Telangana.

The Finance Ministry informed that segregation of 13th finance commission award between the two States was going on. It said that computation of pension liabilities of the two successor states and maintenance of accounts was taken up with the CAG.

The Department of Personal and Training informed that constitution of separate public service commissions could be done after the new governments send Assembly resolutions.