TDP general secretary, Nara Lokesh, on Tuesday made it clear that only former chief minister and party supremo, Chandrababu Naidu, can complete the Polavaram project after the party forms the next government.

Terming polavaram project as a boon to the State, Lokesh told the project displaced at the Sriramavaram campsite during his Yuva Galam pada yatra that it is only the coming TDP government that can do justice to them. Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy, is a bane for Polavaram, he said and pointed out that 72 per cent of the project works were completed and Rs 4,000 cr was spent for relief and rehabilitation of the project displaced when Chandrababu was the chief minister.

Since the projects taken up by the Centre were not moving forward at a fast pace, Chandrababu accelerated the Polavaram project works by convincing the Central Government, Lokesh explained. “What happened after Jagan has come to power. Initially he promised Rs 19 lakh package and later brought it down to Rs 10 lakh but now claiming that nothing is there in his hands and the amount can be paid to the displaced only if the Centre releases funds,” Lokesh told the displaced during an interaction.

The project is pushed into crisis due to the reverse tendering policy of Jagan, the TDP national general secretary observed and felt that the diaphragm wall and the guide bund got damaged due to Jagan’s negligence. The Chief Minister cheated the displaced by not fulfilling the promises made to them, he remarked.

Maintaining that the TDP will abide by the promise made to the displaced earlier, Lokesh assured them that soon after the party forms the coming government Polavaram will be completed after a detailed study. The displaced will not only be paid the compensation but also houses will be built to them, he added.

As per the recent I-PAC survey report, if Jagan goes for elections right now he will win only 25 Assembly seats and if the elections are held after six months he will confine himself to a single digit, Lokesh maintained and revealed that Jagan is thus going for early polls. The TDP, however, is ready to face the polls whenever held, he added.

Earlier, the Polavaram displaced raised various issues including non-payment of compensation to them and that they feeling totally insecure whenever there is flood situation. They complained that the State Government is not even paying minimum attention to them except asking them to vacate their places of residence. They also wanted reservation in employment in the State.