Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu visited the mega Polavaram project being built on the Godavari in West Godavari district on Monday and expressed satisfaction over its progress.

Later, he told presspersons at the site that "70.1 per cent project works have been completed in spite of the financial constraints faced by the state government, as the Centre is not releasing funds on time. We have not allowed the project works to suffer and spent the money on our own, though it is a national project. However, during the past two months due to elections, I have not visited the project site and reviewed the progress."

He said work on the upstream and downstream coffer dams were being executed at a brisk pace and "after the completion of the two dams and the spillway, we will be able to store 23 TMS ft of water and are pretty certain we will be able to release water by next June."

He said the mega Polavaram project on the Godavari was the lifeline of the state and it would be possible to make the state drought-proof once it is completed. "The future and prosperity of the new state of Andhra Pradesh hinges on the completion of the project and that is why we have given it top priority. We have not allowed any hurdle to impede the pace of the project. We have broken all records," he said.

The Chief Minister's visit to the project site and review triggered a political controversy in the state, with the opposition YSR Congress leaders contending that he did not have the right to function as during normal times, as the election code was still in force.

The CM, however, defended his action, saying that there was nothing wrong in reviewing the works of an ongoing project that was important to the progress of the state.

Deputy Chief Minister N. Chinnarajappa and State Irrigation Minister D. Umamaheswara Rao accompanied the Chief Minister to the site.

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