The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Biggest ever scam in State: Naidu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 09, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Biggest ever scam in State: Naidu

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, DEC. 8. The Leader of the Opposition, N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Wednesday charged the Congress Government with bending rules and coming up with tailor-made norms to benefit the nine short-listed contractors.

"It is the biggest ever scam in the State involving thousands of crores. Going by the size of projects estimated to cost Rs. 46,000 crores, the Government could save Rs. 10,000 crores if it follows established norms for calling tenders. But the Government seems to be bent upon benefiting the contractors and not people," Mr. Naidu said in the Assembly, sparking angry protests from Congress members.

YSR targeted

There were more protests when he made remarks against the Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, whom he accused of personally monitoring the entire tendering process. He then hurled allegations of corruption against the Industry Minister, Botsa Satyanarayana, in the construction of the Peddagattu reservoir project and the Congress MLA, K. Venkat Reddy, with helping his construction company, Suzi Hitech, to get a contract.

Even as the Speaker, K. R. Suresh Reddy, ruled that allegations made against members without proper notice would be expunged, the Minister replied to Mr. Naidu in the same vein and dared him to come to the constituency and see the project. "If the allegation is proved I will quit politics and if not, you should."

Mr. Venkat Reddy, against whom Mr. Naidu gave a notice to make the charge, clarified that it was his brother who owned the company and that no undue favour was shown. Continuing, Mr. Naidu said the Government tinkered with the tendering process and did everything to favour the nine contractors. No surprise, the High Court made stinging remarks against the Government. But it was the Government that inspired the contractors to approach the High Court for a review. There was nothing for the Government to rejoice by the modified order as it was relief only for contractors.

`Empty talk'

He dismissed as "empty talk" the Congress charge that the Telugu Desam Government had ignored the irrigation sector. He said the fact was other way round. While successive Congress governments did nothing to this sector, it was he who had completed as many as 12 projects, including the Srisailam Right Branch Canal and the A. Madhava Reddy Canal.

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