Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said in the Assembly on Wednesday that his government was committed to intra-linking rivers in AP and the Pattiseema project was designed as part of it.

Intervening in the debate on the project in the state Assembly on Thursday, he said, “I attended a meeting in New Delhi on river-linking and expressed my view. It was well received. The state can overcome drought conditions if we do this. Through Polavaram, we will meet some result. If we could link the rivers — Penna, Vamsadhara and Nagavali — we will ensure that there is no scarcity of water in the entire state.”

Earlier, resuming the debate under Rule 304, leader of the Opposition Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, asked why the Government Order on the Pattiseema project did not mention “water to Rayalaseema”. He also tried to corner the CM over 21 per cent excess quotation in the tenders.

“You had made a GO during your previous rule that any contractor could quote an excess of up to 10 per cent. After becoming CM, Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy had reduced it to 5 per cent. Now, you are allowing that 5 per cent extra and have decided to give the rest 16.9 per cent as bonus. There was no mention of the bonus in your tender documents. What happened to that amount? Will it go into the pockets of your people?” he asked.

However, both the CM and irrigation minister Devineni Uma maheswara Rao, avoided a direct reply.

Mr Naidu and Mr Umamaheswara Rao said that the Pattiseema GO did not mention “water to Rayalaseema” to avoid litigation from neighbouring states.

“We have seen how the Polavaram project has been blocked for decades. Even now, Odisha and Chhattisgarh are opposing it. We have to carefully draft the GOs,” said Mr Rao.

Citing the Godavari Water Tribunal ruling, Mr Jagan Reddy said, “The moment we start works on Polavaram or Pattiseema, Maharashtra and Karnataka are entitled to use 35 tmc ft of water each. In such a case, will it not be futile to take up the Pattiseema project?” he asked.

Mr Naidu replied that it was not from the start of the execution of works, but from the moment the administrative sanction was given.

While Mr Jagan Reddy demanded cancellation of Pattiseema for the early completion of Polavaram, Mr Naidu ruled it out and stated that out of the five priorities, Pattiseema was second on his agenda. “I I will sleep at the project site to see to it is completed on time,” he said.

Mr Reddy once again raised the issue of simultaneous floods. “We will get monsoon after June 15 and the floods of Godavari and Krishna may occur on same dates. What’s the use of lifting the Godavari water that goes into the sea at Antarvedi and pour it in at some other point of Krishna water going into the sea?” he asked.

Elaborating on the project, Mr Naidu said, “Water is now available in Godavari alone. There are many projects in the upper stream of Krishna. As per our knowledge, nearly 3000 tmc ft of water is going into the sea every year. The floods too occur only between June and September and Krishna floods, if they at all come, may take place after September. So there will be no clash. My intention is if we could utilize at least a minute part of the flood water that would wet our lands in Rayalaseema. The drinking water needs will also be addressed.”

While Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy demanded cancellation of Pattiseema for the early completion of Polavaram, Mr Naidu ruled it out and stated that out of the five priorities, Pattiseema was second on his agenda. “If necessary, I will sleep at the project site to see to it is completed on time, i.e. within a year,” he declared.