Monday, May 02, 2005
Monday, May 02, 2005 |
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Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Andhra Pradesh
M. Malleswara Rao
RAJAHMUNDRY: The open discussion on Pushkaram project tenders here on Sunday ended on a bitter note, marked by heated exchanges between the Telugu Desam representative, S. Maruti, and the Irrigation advisor, P. Sitapati Rao, on three specific issues. The two traded charges. The debate did not take place at the project site as planned earlier in view of the naxalite threat. Farmers, whose lands are to be acquired for the project came to the venue but were not allowed inside. Telugu Desam Party banners appeared in parts of the city highlighting their woes. The Major Irrigation Minister, P. Lakshmaiah, inspected the partially completed Surampalem and Bhoopathipalem projects in Rampachodavaram area, braving risks from the ultras.
L&T issue
As soon as the debate began, Mr Maruti alleged that M/s L&T was fraudulently dropped from the selection of tenders to execute the Rs 188-crore 95-km main canal though it had quoted the lowest rate of Rs 131 crores. The officials had revised the technical valuation after opening the bids to show the price bid offered by Prasad Constructions (Rs 197) as the lowest. The bid came to that level from Rs 292 crores which was originally quoted by the company, after it was allowed to offer rebate twice. This amounted to negotiations after opening the bids which was not allowed as per the code. Mr Sitapati replied that these were not lapses under the "unconventional method" adopted for tenders now. Moreover, these would save crores of rupees for the State exchequer.
`A fraud'
Mr Maruti dubbed this a "fraud" committed by the Irrigation Advisor. Mr Sitapati Rao retorted, "Mr Maruti had committed several frauds when he served the Government as chief engineer". Mr Maruti dared him to prove the charge by ordering a probe against him. Order was restored only when the moderator, S. Nagabhushana Rao, announced the subject as closed. Duplicaton of canal-digging was the second issue raised. The TD and BJP men contended that the main canal could be executed as the Left Bank Canal of the Polavaram project straight avoiding the plan to excavate the latter later. The double work was opted pending Polavaram for the sake of tenders, they contended.The Chief Engineer, Polavaram,, M. Venkateswara Rao, to whom the issue was referred by both sides, ruled out the proposal as a technical impossibility. The third issue highlighted was that 30,000 acres would be lost under Pushkaram due to duplicaton of the canals. They demanded payment of compensation to the affected. The Irrigation Minister later said the TDP representative was making baseless charges. The subject of the next open debate will be the Bhoopathipalem project next Sunday.
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