The payment of ‘mobilisation advance’ on machinery to the contractor, who has bagged the Polavaram project contract, by the Telugu Desam government has drawn flak from the Congress.
Releasing a copy of the memo issued by the Irrigation Department, at a media conference here on Wednesday, Pradesh Congress Committee president N. Raghuveera Reddy said that a TDP MP’s firm was part of the joint venture project and it was given Rs.200 crore as mobilisation advance. “We are not against payment of mobilisation advance but the manner in which it was released by relaxing the rules was an indication of irregularities. The bank had refused to give mobilisation advance on the old machinery but the rules were relaxed by the government to favour an individual,” he alleged.
He said that the Congress was committed to the construction of the Polavaram project. In fact, it was the Congress which has brought ‘national status’ to the project, but to ensure its timely completion, the government should keep irregularities and corruption at bay. He alleged that the ruling Telugu Desam ‘laid the foundation’ for corruption and irregularities within 100 days of coming to power.
Mr. Reddy recalled that the TDP, which was then in the Opposition, had raised a hue and cry when the previous governments had paid mobilisation advance in accordance with the norms. The same TDP was now trying to relax the rules and benefit the contractors. He said that the party was ready to prove the irregularities and wanted the government to call for an all-party meet on the issue and place all the note files of the government on the Polavaram project.
Botcha’s chargeFormer PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana alleged that the Telugu Desam government was favouring all those who had funded it to fight the elections. These ‘beneficiaries’ were already trying to grab lands in Rushikonda area of the city in view of the huge development potential. He also alleged that the government declared Vijayawada as capital after tipping of party leaders and followers resulting in the cost of land skyrocketing.