KCR involved in `24k graft: Uttam
President of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Tuesday alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao was indulging in massive corruption by manipulating tenders of the Kaleshwaram and Dummugudem projects, jointly worth over `24,000 crore.
During a live interaction with senior party leaders through videoconference, Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy, who is also the Nalgonda MP, alleged that while the world was busy fighting the Coronavirus, Chief Minister Rao and his close relatives were busy taking eight per cent commission as kickbacks from contractors of the Kaleshwaram project.
“This massive corruption in irrigation projects is taking place during a national lockdown. The tender for the Dummugudem project was floated and closed during lockdown. There was no serious global bidding. As per our information, cost estimates have been spiked by 30 to 40 per cent, at the cost of Telangana people's interests. An eight per cent commission, arrangements was entered into between contractors and those in power,” he alleged. Mr Reddy alleged that Chief Minister Rao, who also holds the irrigation portfolio, and his relatives benefitted from manipulations in the tender process.
“We demand that these tenders be cancelled and fresh global tenders be called for at a later date,” he demanded.
Even as May 12, Tuesday, was the last date for submitting bids for the Dummugudem project, Mr Reddy alleged there was a meeting at the behest of the Chief Minister with regard to the `3,000 crore tender which has been manipulated. He said that L&T would be awarded the tender, after it opens on Wednesday.
“If this is not manipulated, then how would we have learned who is bidding and who is getting L1 (lowest) price,” he asked.
L&T was not initially qualified to bid for the Dummugudem project, he said, adding that manipulations were done during the last 10 days to make it eligible to enter the tender process.
The TPCC president said that it was highly unfortunate that Chief Minister Rao has remained silent on works being undertaken by the Andhra Pradesh government for the last six months to draw an additional four tmc ft (thousand million cubit feet) of water from the Pothireddypadu head regulator.
“The TRS government led by KCR is spending about `1 lakh crore to get two tmc ft water through lift irrigation. Besides capital, the government will have to spend another `10,000 crore on electricity, maintenance and manpower. However, Srisailam water, which is supposed to come to us by gravity, is being taken away by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government and KCR has remained silent till yesterday,” he said.