The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : TDP to skip debate on Bhoopathipalem project

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Saturday, May 07, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

TDP to skip debate on Bhoopathipalem project

Staff Reporter

Protest against Government's `callous attitude'

HYDERABAD: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will not participate in the public debate on the Bhoopathipalem irrigation project to be held at the site in East Godavari district on Sunday.

At a press conference here on Friday, the TDP leader, M.V. Mysoora Reddy, and the party MLA, Sana Maruthi, said the decision had been taken to protest against the "callous attitude of the Congress Government" to the concept of a debate.

Dr. Reddy said the Bhoopathipalem project was one, which was conceived and sanctioned when the TDP was in power. It was an ongoing project, he said, adding that it did not figure in the TDP's list of projects where it had alleged irregularities and corruption. "Our allegations were against projects in `category one' and those in the `open category' where contractors had formed a syndicate and where already-benchmarked estimates had been modified," he said. The intention of the Government was only to divert attention, he said.

On the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's recent statement that despite being given more than one opportunity the TDP had failed to prove the irregularities that it had claimed, Dr. Reddy said how could the Opposition be expected to prove anything when the Government refused to place the files before the Speaker. The TDP had proved that Skanska, a company, which had been pre-qualified falsely under category one and had been entrusted with at least Rs. 700 crores of works on the irrigation projects, had not filed papers to prove its capability and track record. The company had only done road works before, Dr. Reddy said, adding that it had changed names more than once, proof of which was available in the office of the Registrar of Companies.

Leaders dare Government

Meanwhile, at a separate press conference, the Telugu Desam challenged the Congress Government to place before the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly all files pertaining to irrigation tenders in the State.

The TDP leaders -- Kadiam Srihari, S. Venugopalachari and E. Peddi Reddy-- regretted that the Congress leaders were saying that the TDP had failed to prove irregularities in irrigation tenders when they were not sure themselves.

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