APCC demands all party meet on Polavaram

Raising objections and alleging irregularities in the sanction of mobilisation advance to the contractors of Indira Sagar Polavaram project, the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) demanded the government to make advance file public and convene an all-party meeting on the issue.

Despite the irrigation and finance departments objecting the sanctions of mobilisation advance, the government issued a memo relaxing the rules and examining sanction of five per cent mobilisation advance to the tune of Rs.200 crore to Polavaram contractors, alleged N. Raghuveera Reddy, APCC president in a statement here on Tuesday.

The Congress party was committed to extending all help for construction of Polavaram project but the Telugu Desam Party government needs to clarify on the urgency to sanction mobilisation advance. Generally, mobilisation advance is sanctioned to the joint venture or the prime partner in the venture only when machinery is purchased without any involvement of banks, he pointed out.

“The government should make the note file submitted by irrigation and finance department’s to the Chief Minister’s office public and convene an all-party meeting,” said Mr. Reddy. In the past, the TDP had criticised the government for sanctioning mobilisation advance to contractors according to rules, but it was now relaxing rules to facilitate the contractors, much against the rules, he added.