Strange are the ways of the Narendra Modi government with regard to the Polavaram major irrigation project.
One department estimates one figure for the completion of the project, while the other department disagrees with it.
In its annual report for 2020 released by the Union Jal Sakthi ministry, the overall cost of the Polavaram project has been put at Rs 55,548 crore, as per the 2017-18 estimates prepared by the ministry and approved by the Central Water Commission.
The Centre has mentioned in the report that the Union Jal Sakthi minister has so far released Rs 8,614 crore. Another Rs 1,850 crore would be released this year and Rs 2,234 crore would be released next year.
Till January 2020, the Union Jal Sakthi ministry has admitted that an amount of Rs 17,327 crore had been spent on Polavaram by both the Centre and the state governments.
Strangely, the Union finance ministry has put the overall cost of the Polavaram project at only Rs 20,398 crore as per 2013-14 estimates and said it would release only the balance amount of Rs 3,000 crore. This is despite the fact that the cost of rehabilitation and resettlement itself would be more than Rs 28,000 crore.
So, what is Centre up to?