The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : YSR owes an apology: TDP

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Thursday, Nov 22, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

YSR owes an apology: TDP

Special Correspondent

Seeks action, recovery of Rs. 539 crore from contractors

HYDERABAD: The TDP on Wednesday said Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy owed an explanation on the stinging observations made by the CAG on the irregularities in irrigation project contracts and demanded recovery of the “unintended and undue” amount of Rs. 539 crore from the contractors.

At a press conference, TDP leaders T. Devender Goud, D. Veerabhadra Rao and P. Keshav said, now that the defraud of the public exchequer in the garb of irrigation projects was confirmed by a constitutional body, Dr. Reddy should explain to the people, how it had happened and what action he intended to initiate.

“We will not demand his resignation as he did when he was leader of the Opposition, citing CAG’s observations on some trivial issues in 2003. We leave it to his better senses as in Yellampalli irrigation project alone, CAG found contractors benefiting to the tune of Rs. 359 crore”, they said.

The TDP leaders insisted that only the Chief Minister should respond to the CAG findings and not the Major Irrigation Minister as “Jalayagnam” was his brainchild and it was he who had prepared the list of contractors to be given the projects.

They said, the party had always been saying that it favoured irrigation projects but not corruption and had forewarned about the misuse of tax payers’ money given the poor planning and freedom to handpicked contractors. Far from taking remedial steps, the Government started a disinformation campaign against the TDP.

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