VIJAYAWADA: Almost nine years after constituting
Polavaram Project Authority
(
PPA
), Centre is gearing up to sign an
Mou
with AP government for the smooth implementation of project works. Absence of MoU with the state government is often resulting in delay and confusion in taking the works ahead. Meanwhile, Centre and state governments are roping in international designers to finalise designs for the balance works including D-wall.
Union jal shakti minister has decided to convene a high-level meeting on January 29 to finalise the modalities of the MoU to be signed with AP government. Sources said the Centre is also contemplating to restructure the entire PPA to strengthen it in such a way that all the final decisions should be taken by the agency. Although PPA is the nodal agency to monitor the project work, lack of coordination between different agencies including some central agencies like Central Water Commission (CWC), Dam Designs Review Panel (DDRP) and Union ministers is hitting the works badly. State irrigation department and contractor agency are struggling to get the clearances from different agencies as no one in New Delhi is taking PPA with a serious note.
Taking these issues into consideration, Centre is contemplating to appoint an additional secretary rank officer as PPA CEO to accord it a higher status. The present CEO of PPA,
Shiv Nandan
Kumar, is a technocrat in
jal shakti ministry
and unable to command things. The appointment of additional secretary rank officer is expected to streamline the issues as PPA is packed with several top officers including chief secretaries of AP, TS and secretaries in different Union ministries.
While state government is sending requests for taking up urgent works in the field level, it is taking 2-3 months to get clearances from New Delhi. In anticipation of getting clearances, the state government is advising the contract agency to go ahead with the specific work which subsequently lands both agency and the state government in trouble when PPA is refusing to reimburse the bills of the works which were not authorised by it. Centre has so far kept bills of several completed works to the tune of 2,000-3,000 crore in pending despite repeated appeals.
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