Making it clear that he was ready to own the responsibility if the main opposition party Congress party proves irregularities in Mission Bhagiratha Scheme, IT and Municipal Minister KT Ramarao said the government will file defamation case against the Opposition leaders.
Earlier, demanding the state government to appoint House Committee and keep the documents at central vigilance committee (CVC) on Mission Bhagiratha, the Congress party alleged that corruption took place in the Mission Bhagiratha and ready to prove it. “I am ready to face any sort of punishment in case I failed to prove corruption in Mission Bhagiratha Scheme. Keep the Mission Bhagiratha tender documents in the House”, TPCC Chjef N Uttam Kumar Reddy said.
The House witnessed allegations and counter allegations and challenges and counter challenges on Tuesday during the short discussion on Mission Bhagiratha Scheme in the Legislative Assembly. While starting the discussion, the Minister KT Ramarao made a statement on the scheme. Later, participating in the discussion, Congress MLA Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka alleged that the state government has taken up Mission Bhagiratha though it was not in its assurance list before the elections while keeping the assurances like three acre land to daliths, double bed room houses and KG to PG free education. He said that the government has taken up the scheme with huge budget Rs.42,000 crores.
The Congress party has several doubts and myths on the scheme’s DPR. The government was implementing the scheme with centralised treatment plant and taking the water for thousands of kilometres. The government using 181 pipes per kilometre spending Rs.1.81crore and spending Rs.1 crore for lining the pipes and total expenditure per kilometre was Rs.2.81 crore. He wondered whether the project was for pipes or for supplying water. He also expressed doubts on using the services of Messer’s Wapcos Company for execution of the scheme. But the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao expressed several doubts on the Company’s sincerity, he said and questioned as to how the government has given to that company for designing the project.
He also asked the government to tell as to what was the need of Mission Bhagiratha Scheme where Mission Kakathiya scheme and the Irrigation projects were there. “What is the need to spend Rs.42,000 crore on Mission Bhagiratha as the government already spending Rs.25,000crore on Mission Kakathiya and Rs.1.35lakh crore on Irrigation projects and bringing water to every nook and corner of the state”, he questioned. He also expressed doubt that whether Mission Kakathiya and irrigation projects would fail and won’t bring water.
At this juncture, Finance Minister Etela Rajender intervened and said that the Mission Bhagiratha scheme would provide water to every household of the state even the drought prevailed for 4 years continuously. After a heated discussion held between the treasury benches and CLP leader K Jana Reddy on ‘Naa Telangana and Mana Telangana” issue, Bhatti continued his speech and alleged that the tenders were being prepared by sitting in a room. He said that the tenders process was not being held in transparent manner and demanded the ruling party to appoint a House Committee on it. He said that the state will face danger in case the government spent the money as it wished. The government was borrowing money from banks and spending the same without transparency.
He demanded the state government to appoint House Committee by placing the details of the Mission Bhagiratha Scheme or submit the documents to the Central Vigilance Committee. He alleged that the government increased the debts upto Rs.1.20 lakh crores and asked the government to curb the corruption and not to give false information.
TDP member R Krishnaiah demanded the government to take up the works on priority base. The government has to construct first 22 lakh houses to the poor and later it has to provide drinking water. How the government will provide water when there were no houses, he questioned. He also asked the government to release fees reimbursement and recruit the jobs immediately. He said that the government has to take up the Mission Bhagiratha on phased manner by getting central funds. The government not to spend money on unproductive schemes indiscriminate manner, he said and demanded the state government to convene all-party meeting on it to see that the Mission Bhagiratha to be take place in transparent manner.
TRS MLAs Gongidi Sunitha, Rasamai Bala Kishan, Sudhir Reddy, BJP MLA NVVS Prabhakar, CPM MLA Sunnam Rajaiah spoke.
Replying to the House, KTR said that the government was moving forward transparently on Mission Bhagiratha Scheme tenders. The TRS government stopped EPC and mobilisation advances system and kept Corporate Debt Restructuring (CDR) to see that the project to be completed in time. The excess took place in previous government’s regime and excesses were taking place in tenders even in Karnataka, Gujarat and Rajasthan states. The state government saved Rs.125 girls by e-procurement. He said that the Congress government wasted money by using EPC and Mobilisation Advances.
Reacting on it, TPCC Chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy asked the Minister to tell as to how the state government giving all tenders to Andhra contractors and alleged that the TRS government indulged in irregularities. He said that he addressed a letter to the Prime Minister for owning the Congress government’s scheme as TRS government’s scheme.
KTR asked UTtam to show the proof on corruption or else the government will a defamation case and will own the responsibility if proved. The government was transparently moving forward and leaving it to his Uttam’s wisdom.
Uttam said that he was ready to prove the corruption in the Rs.1800 crore worth IntakeWell tender. “KTR manipulated the tender. I am ready to prove it or else I am ready for any punishment. Keep the details of it in the house”, he demanded.
KTR said that the government was ready for discussion on it and asked the opposition to show the evidences.
Asking the clarifications, Bhatti said that the Congress party was ready for anything. The government has to initiate any action against the misuse of Mobilisation Advances. “We are ready to send the details of the projects to CVC if the present government sends its details”, he said and asked the government to appoint House Committee on it.
Reacting on it, KTR said that there were no eligible contractors from Telangana region. “We are making contractors from Telangana by issuing G.O.No.987, he said and asked the Opposition to show the proofs on corruption on Mission Bhagiratha. (NSS)