If there is any achievement Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has been iterating is the successfully implementation of Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (PLIS) interlinking two rivers of Godavari and Krishna. The project even found place in Limca book of records for successful implementation of the lift irrigation scheme within a year. However, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) ripped apart the government for wasting public money, failing to mention the irrigation potential and for completing the project without identifying the intended users.
The project doesn’t have approval from CWC or environment clearance. As per the AP State Reorganisation Act-2014 section 84 before taking up any new project on interstate rivers Godavari or Krishna, CWC approval has to be obtained.
In the Detailed Project Report(DPR) the project’s life span was taken as twenty years but the project will run only till the Polvaram Project is completed in 2019. Thus, reducing the life of the PLIS to three years only.
The PLIS was expected to lift water from Godavari’s right bank, near the Pattisam village in West Godavari, and drop it into the Polavaram project’s right canal. CAG report stated that the Chief Engineer of the project in his response in May2016, said that the distribution of the Polvaram Right Main Canal has not been finalized so, the list of industries and villages for domestic supply where not identified. This impacted the Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of the project as it was worked out on wrong assumptions as they did not identify industries.
The construction patterns were altered even though there was no need for it, which caused an extra burden of rupees 106 crore. It even said that the government tweaked several rules and regulations to favour the contractors.
PLIS was declared as a project implemented without any budget enhancements. On the contrary, in the State audit report of 2015-16 which was tabled in the Assembly, CAG sharply pointed that the government in a bid to favour contractors spent 21.9percent in excess over the estimated value. The projected cost of PLIS was Rs 1,170 crore but the contract was awarded to the bidder Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd who submitted estimated value as Rs 1427.70. Further it said, the revised estimate after the contract was awarded augmented to over Rs 1,600 crore.
The project is supposed to meet the irrigation and drinking water needs of Rayalaseema region in the state. Though the farmers from the Coastal areas celebrated the PLIS with grandeur and thanked the CM but the response from the Rayalaseema farmers was lull.