AP wants law on merger of Polavaram project villages

Andhra Pradesh Assembly today passed a resolution requesting the Centre to soon enact a law replacing the Ordinance merging seven revenue mandals of Bhadrachalam division with AP and complete construction of Polavaram multi-purpose project within three years.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu moved the resolution that was passed unanimously.
The NDA government, immediately after assuming power last month, issued the Ordinance transferring the seven revenue mandals to the residual state of Andhra Pradesh.
"Polavaram project cannot be completed unless the villages that face submersion are merged with Andhra Pradesh. In fact, all those villages were very much part of the erstwhile Andhra state and merged with Khammam district of Telangana only in 1959 for administrative convenience," the Chief Minister pointed out.

He found fault with those seeking to stall the construction of Polavaram project that would be beneficial to Telangana as well.
"Now that Polavaram has been declared a national project, the Centre should go ahead with its construction as per the design approved by the Central Water Commission. It should be completed within three years," Chandrababu said.

In another resolution, the Assembly congratulated students M Purna and Anand who scaled Mt Everest recently. The House also complimented their coach Sekhar Babu.
The AP Assembly also expressed grief over the tragic death of 24 engineering students in Beas river in Himachal Pradesh.

The state government had already announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of those washed away in the river.