The Hindu : Front Page : Ponnala grilled by Lok Ayukta

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Tuesday, Apr 17, 2007
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Ponnala grilled by Lok Ayukta

Special Correspondent

Major Irrigation Minister summoned for probe into Yellampalli lapses

YELLAMPALLI EFFECT: Minister for Major Irrigation Ponnala Lakshmaiah coming out of the court of Lok Ayukta R. Ramanujam in Hyderabad on Monday. - PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU

HYDERABAD: Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah was summoned by the Lok Ayukta on Monday and grilled over the administrative lapses in the implementation of the multi-crore Sripadasagar (Yellampalli) project across the Godavari near Mancherial.

The inquiry in the court of Lok Ayukta R. Ramanujam, that lasted two-and-a-half hours, will continue on Wednesday morning. The Lok Ayukta took up the probe suo motu based on newspaper reports about large-scale irregularities in the project that kicked off a major controversy in the Assembly.

The incisive questioning by Justice Ramanujam stumped the Minister, who was designated as a witness, on quite a few occasions. Mr. Lakshmaiah pleaded ignorance to certain questions saying steps taken by the bureaucracy were not always brought to his notice. However, Justice Ramanujam said the officials had kept him (Mr. Lakshmaiah) in the dark.

A major lapse pointed out by the Lok Ayukta was the award of a contract to the joint venture comprising IVRCL and Nava Yuga Construction Companies on an urgent basis on March 31, 2005, while the works were grounded six months later. He felt the "urgency" that the State Government displayed in awarding the contract on the last day of the financial year was diluted by the delay in execution of works.

The Superintending Engineer in-charge of the project issued the acceptance letter to the contractors the same evening without getting a formal clearance from the Government. Justice Ramanujam questioned the Minister whether the latter knew that the Principal Secretary and Advisor to Government on Irrigation decided not to convey the decision of the Government to the contractors as the third member of a high-powered committee was not consulted. At this, Mr. Lakshmaiah replied in the negative.

The Lok Ayukta took a dig at Mr. Lakshmaiah when the latter said he had signed the order awarding the contract without studying the note file. The Minister replied that he did not feel the necessity to go through the file as it was scrutinised at various stages. Justice Ramanujam reminded him that he was the controller of public exchequer as a Minister.

The Lok Ayukta also expressed his displeasure that the work was sanctioned without the estimates getting administrative approval. Finally, the approval was given in August for Rs. 1,688.86 crores while the contract was struck for Rs. 1,737 crores.

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