The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Tender schedule for projects announced

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 30, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Tender schedule for projects announced

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 29. The Government has announced the tender schedule for 26 pending irrigation projects and four Godavari-based ones, promising to ground works from November first week.

The Major Irrigation Minister, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, released the schedule at a press conference here today. He dismissed the Telugu Desam's doubts on this score as `wishful thinking.'

Three categories

He said works were divided into three categories for easy implementation. Under the first category were "major" works such as dams and main canals, each costing Rs. 100 crores and above, while "medium" works such as smaller main canals and distributaries came under the second category, each worth Rs. 50-100 crores. The third category covered drainage canals and culverts, each costing Rs. 5-10 crores.

Packages

Under the "major'' category, bids for 11 packages would be received by October 8, for another 10 packages by October 14 and for an equal number by October 20. The estimated cost of these works was Rs. 4,500 crores.

Another list of 24 "major" packages coming to Rs. 5,000 crores was ready.

Under the medium category, tenders for 30 packages would be received by October 20 and for another 32 by October 30. The value of these packages was Rs. 2,100 crores. Regular tenders would be issued soon for "minor" packages worth Rs. 2,000 crores. The Minister said works worth Rs. 8,600 crores would be grounded by November first week.

`Funds not a problem'

He said the Congress was determined to rejuvenate the rural economy by improving irrigation facilities, unlike the previous Telugu Desam Government which `totally neglected' the sector.The Minister tried to allay apprehensions about funds, saying the required monies were already at hand. The senior manager of the Oriental Bank of Commerce, T. Kishore, who was present, handed over a cheque for Rs. 100 crores to the Minister out of the Rs. 200 crores "agreed upon" towards the Rs. 237-crore Tadipudi project. The balance Rs. 37 crores will come from the Government.

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