YSRCP MPs submit memorandum to Sitharaman on Polavaram, special status to Andhra

New Delhi [India], July 27 : A delegation of YSRCP MPs met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the national capital on Monday and submitted a memorandum on the Polavaram project, special status for Andhra Pradesh and alleged hawala transactions between Narasapuram MP K Raghu Rama Krishna Raju and the owner of a private television channel.
The MPs also requested the Finance Minister to reimburse the expenditure incurred by the state government on the project, without restricting funding to component-wise eligibility and to consider the reimbursement as per the actual costs of Land Acquisition (LA) and Relief and Rehabilitation (R&R) compensation for the project-affected families under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
They further stated that the Government of Andhra Pradesh is only an executing agency of the project which was declared a national project under Section 90(1) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 (APRA), and that a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) was created in May 2014 for executing the project through State government's departments and other expert agencies.
"It is to bring to your kind notice that Section 90(1) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014, declared Polavaram Irrigation Project as a National Project and the Act clearly says that it is expedient in the public interest that the Union Government takes under its control regulation and development. Then, in May 2014, an SPV was created to execute the project through State Government departments or any other expert agency. So, it becomes clear that the State Government of Andhra Pradesh is only an executing agency and the GOI shall have the overall responsibility of completing the project," they said in a memorandum.
The investment clearance for the Polavaram project was originally given on the basis of the 2010-11 price level and the Andhra Pradesh government had submitted revised cost estimates at the 2017-18 price level on being asked by the PPA to do so.
The MPs observed that over seven years have passed since the enactment of the APRA but the project has not picked up pace due to the Central government's apathy in approving the second revised cost estimate. The Centre should, therefore, give investment clearance without further delay, they said.
In another memorandum, the YSRCP MPs urged for immediate action over the fraudulent hawala transactions of 1 million Euro between Ramakrishna Raju and BR Naidu, Chairman of TV5 News Channel for violation of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and Foreign Exchange Management Act.
"It is to bring to your kind notice that the Andhra Pradesh Police have found several evidence which prima facie prove a case of money laundering and violation of provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999," it said.
They further said that the proof of hawala transactions referred to as 'angadia' can be found in the phone messages between K Raghu Ramakrishna Raju, MP (LS) and BR Naidu, Chairman of TV5 News channel.
"The chat conversation tells us about a transfer of 1 million euro to OCBC a/c no. 501189518301 from Wells Fargo a/c no. 51700263205 proving money laundering and making a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999," the memo added.