Cabinet nod for Polavaram Authority in Andhra Pradesh

A proposal to set up an authority to speed up environmental and investment clearances for the Polavaram multi-purpose project in Andhra Pradesh today received the nod of the Union Cabinet.
The proposed Polavaram Project Authority will be an autonomous body under the Union Water Resources Ministry.
The dedicated 'special purpose vehicle' will be tasked to to obtain all requisite clearances including environmental and forest and work to create investment and rehabilitation norms, according to the proposal.
Sources said the proposal was cleared by the Cabinet at its meeting held here this evening.
"The Authority shall also ensure expeditious execution, regulation and development of the project while simultaneously ensuring implementation of adequate environmental safeguard measures and proper rehabilitation of those dispaced," sources said quoting the proposal.

Since the proposed Authority will work under the central government, it is expected to instill confidence in both the successor states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh as well as other riparian states of Odisha and Chhattisgarh that the execution of the project is being carried out in a transparent and equitable manner.
Telangana is expected to come into being as the 29th state of India on June 2.
The Polavaram project has been declared as a national project recently.