Amaravati, May 28 (IANS): With the Polavaram project estimated to be completed by July this year, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has instructed state government officials to follow up with the Central government on pending bill payments.

Reddy on Friday reviewed the progress of the Polavaram project, and other major irrigation projects in the state.

Pointing out that around Rs 1,600 crore worth of bills, at various phases, are pending with the Central government, the Chief Minister said that despite financial constraints, the state government is sanctioning money for Polavaram as it is a high-priority project and should be completed on a war footing.

Stating that it is not appropriate to have bills pending at the Centre regarding the expenditure incurred by the state government, Reddy directed the officials to focus on getting them reimbursed.

With further expenditure to the tune of Rs 1,400 crore estimated over the next three months, the CM directed the officials to go to Delhi and get the pending bills cleared.

Officials briefing the Chief Minister said that 91 per cent of spillway concrete works have been completed, and the remaining works will be done by June 15.

They said 42 radial gates have been erected and the pending six gates will be completed soon, adding that the remaining 14 hydraulic cylinders will arrive soon from Germany.

A multi-purpose irrigation project that has been accorded national project status, the Polavaram project is a major dam coming up on the Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh at an estimated cost of Rs 55,548.87 crore (at 2017-18 price levels).