The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Row over purchase of tractors by KMC

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Row over purchase of tractors by KMC

Staff Reporter

Members walk out from the Council meeting

Superintending Engineer accused of covering up mistake
Members express reservation against continuation of SE

Kakinada: The purchase of 10 tractors by the engineering section of Kakinada Municipal Corporation (KMC) in alleged violation of norms last year, resulted in the walkout of all the council members from the budget meeting on Thursday and declaration that the services of the Superintending Engineer (SE) D Jayakar are not required by the civic body, implying his surrender to the Government.Soon after Mayor K Saroja welcomed the members, some of them got up and demanded explanation as to why the tractors were not returned despite serious objections raised by them in the earlier meetings.

Replying to charges, Commissioner A Sivakoti Prasad said a written communication was sent to the company (M/s HMT Ltd.), wherein it was requested to take back the tractors through their dealer but the tractors remained with the KMC till date. It was at this point that the corporators, cutting across party lines, accused the SE of covering up the mistake due to his alleged involvement in the scandal. The SE was also charged with misleading the Commissioner by submitting a truncated report of what had actually transpired between KMC and the company with regard to purchase of tractors. As the pressure mounted, the SE told the corporators that he would rather go on leave than bear with the charges of corruption levelled against him. Infuriated with the SE’s answers, corporators walked out, expressing strong reservations against continuing the SE in his official capacity.

The Mayor has then concurred with their view that the services of SE were no longer essential for the KMC.

Bonhomie

An atmosphere of political bonhomie prevailed later as all the corporators assembled in an adjacent room and decided to put an end to differences among them for the sake of people’s welfare.

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