Congress plans legal battle against "illegal tenders"

The Telangana Congress party has decided to wage a legal battle against the "illegal tenders" called by the State Government for Palamuru Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme.

Speaking to media persons at Gandhi Bhavan on Friday, TPCC President N. Uttam Kumar Reddy described the entire tender process as farce. He said that the tenders, which closes Saturday, were completely manipulated with the TRS Government imposing severe restriction bidding process to award the works to some favoured companies. He said that the State would lose 25-30% of public money if the tenders are allotted to the companies through the present illegal route created by the TRS Government.

The TPCC chief said that the Congress party would convene an all party meeting on the issue and explore the legal means to expose the entire scam which is worth more than Rs. 3,000 crore in Palamuru Scheme alone. He informed that tenders worth Rs. 29,333 crore for 18 packages of Palamuru Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme were invited in complete violation of the rules and set norms. Never heard before restrictions were imposed so as to prevent global and national companies from participating in the tender process. "It never happened in the past that CDR companies were prohibited from participating in Irrigation Department tenders in united Andhra Pradesh. International and national companies were barred from the tender process on the condition that they must be registered in Hyderabad. Further, number of technical restrictions such as earlier experience of embankment works, revertment, etc., were imposed. This was done only to ensure that favoured companies get the works," he said while alleging that TRS leaders were receiving huge kickbacks by doing so.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said that by manipulating the irrigation tender process, the TRS Government was creating a monopolistic environment and avoiding serious competition. "Works are now going to be awarded at a cost of 20-35% higher than if there were genuine global bidding," he said.

He also expressed regret that despite serious objection by the main opposition party, the TRS Government did not even bother to review the tender process even once. "Congress party has made verbal and written representations to Irrigation Department Principal Secretary S.K. Joshi and Engineer-in-Chief Muralidhar Rao. We expressed our apprehension that huge public money would be wasted if present tenders are finalised without taking our objection into consideration. However, the TRS Government is going ahead with the tenders and they will be closed on 20th February," he said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also pointed out the contractors from Seemandhra region would be the major beneficiaries of this irrigation scam hatched by TRS Government. "Same TRS leaders who cried hoarse that Seemandhra contractors and businessmen were looting Telangana in united AP, are now awarding massive government works, almost all on nomination basis, to favoured companies, mainly of Seemandhra ownership," he said.

"Present rulers of Telangana State had promised transparency and eradication of corruption in the new State. But now the corruption has touched its peak and could be highest ever in the entire country since independence. The Congress party will not allow this daylight robbery of public money," he said.