HYDERABAD: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has decided to wait for the response of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh before finalising the future course of action on the construction of the Polavaram (Indirasagar) project.

The party, which represented the matter to the Prime Minister, appraised him about the displacement of a large number of tribals if the project was taken up as per the present design.

"The Government cannot dispense with the Schedule V of the Constitution, any modification for which would require a Presidential assent," CPI (M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury said.

He said that the Prime Minister had assured a party delegation that the Government would evaluate the various alternatives before taking a final decision on the issue.

In addition to the displacement of tribals, there was also scope for fuelling regional disparities if the project's design was not changed.

"Implemented in its present form, the project would lead to displacement of tribals in Telangana districts while providing irrigation to coastal Andhra," he said.

Of barrage and dam

Meanwhile, CPI (M) State secretary B.V. Raghavulu took exception to Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's reported remarks that veteran CPI (M) leader P. Sundaraiah favoured the construction of Polavaram project.

"Sundaraiah has, no doubt, favoured projects, but not at the expense of tribals. Moreover, the Government should understand the difference between a barrage as suggested by the CPI (M) leader and a dam," he said.

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