The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hauled up officials of the Water Resources Department about the accounts of the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme and the Polavaram project at a meeting here on Tuesday. The PAC asked the officials to explain how the State government got a benefit to the tune of ₹2,500 crore from the Pattiseema scheme. It asked the officials about the payment of additional amounts under labour cess and excise duty to the LI scheme contractor.
The PAC headed by Buggana Ravindranath expressed dissatisfaction over the accounts of the Polavaram project presented to the committee.
Additional payment
The chairman instructed the officials that proper accounts should be presented to the committee before the next Assembly session.
The committee asked how a diaphragm wall was constructed for the Pattiseema scheme without the same being mentioned in the tender agreement. The members asked the officials how the additional payment of ₹372 crore paid to the Pattiseema contractor could be explained. When the officials failed to answer its questions, the committee pulled them up.
