Stop obstructionism, Harish tells Congress

Demand for House panel to probe graft shot down

Stating that the state government will bring pressure on Centre to get national project status to Pranahitha – Chevella project, major irrigation minister T. Harish Rao on Tuesday requested the Congress not to create hurdles in the way of irrigation projects by “misleading courts with false information”.

The minister ignored the demand of Congress members to constitute a House Committee or order an inquiry on corruption in Mission Bhagiratha scheme implementation.

Participating in the debate on irrigation demand, Congress member Komatireddy Venkata Reddy alleged that the main contractors

What is wrong if the Congress stands by the people and seeks fair compensation for those who lost their lands to the projects? — T. JEEVAN REDDY Congress senior MLA

handed over Mission Bhagiratha scheme works to subcontractors and they were not even visiting the project sites.

“The contractors are getting funds promptly from the government and not paying the subcontractors even after two months,” Mr Venkata Reddy alleged, adding that the government has given works worth `20,000 crore to four Andhra contractors.

Alleging corruption in Mission Bhagiratha works, Mr Venkata Reddy demanded the government order an inquiry into this. He said as a part of Mission Bhagiratha, the state government sanctioned `5,000 crore for optical fibre works and asked for whose purpose was the government taking up these works.

Another Congress MLA Rammohan Reddy levelled the same allegations and demanded constitution of a House Committee. Mr Rammohan Reddy said that he would prove the corruption charges.

Earlier, initiating the debate, Congress MLA T. Jeevan Reddy accused the TRS government of levelling baseless allegations against the Congress to cover up its failures. He said that during Congress rule, present Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had conducted Deekha demanding compensation for those people who lost their properties for the Mid Manair project.

BJP MLA N.V.V.S. Prabhakar asked the TRS government how many tmc ft of water had come to the state after bifurcation and the steps taken by the TRS government in this regard.

He demanded the state government to take an all-party delegation to the Centre to get clearance the for Pranahitha-Chevella project.

Responding to the charges, Mr Harish Rao said to minimise submergence villages, the state government was redesigning the projects.

He said the state government has constructed Bhakta Ramadasu irrigation project within 10 months.