Hyderabad, June 15: Joining chorus with some of the Congress senior leaders on the alleged corruption in Jalayagnam programme, the Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) today demanded a judicial probe into the contracts awarded for the project for higher rates.
They demanded that the probe should cover all the projects starting from 2004.
Speaking to reporters here, TDP leaders B Goapalakrishna Reddy and Vem Narender Reddy said that the TDP had been harping on corruption in Jalayagnam programme.
They recalled that the party had mentioned about revising cost of Yellampalli project by Rs 400 crore. “We have raised the same in the state Assembly, but the government did not take any action,’’ the leaders alleged.
The state government has so far spent Rs 52,000 crore on Jalayagnam, but it failed to provide irrigation to at least one acre additionally, they said and added that the contract to Polavaram project worth Rs 7,000 crore was awarded to one contractor.
TDP leaders demanded that the state government should answer the doubts raised by some Congress leaders on the corruption in the irrigation projects.
The leaders held both Chief Minister K Rosaiah and Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah responsible for corruption in executing the projects.
Ponnala finds support from colleagues
HYDERABAD: Beleaguered Major Irrigation Minister P Laxmaiah has found some support from his Cabinet colleagues after senior leaders demanded his sacking from the cabinet, accusing him of corruption in implementation of Jalayagnam projects.
Ministers D Sridhar Babu (Higher Education), DK Aruna (Small Scale Industries) and J Geetha Reddy (Information and Public Relations) on Monday faulted the senior leaders of the party for approaching the media with their allegations. They pointed out that if they had any complaints against Lakshmaiah, they should approach the chief minister or the PCC president Sridhar Babu said that the leaders’ contention that Polavaram project would harm the interests of Telangana people was untenable. He recalled allocation of Rs.1.8 lakh crore of the total Jalayagnam’s budget of Rs.1.80 lakh crore being allocated to Telangana districts alone. Under such circumstances, it was not fair on the Congress party leaders to give more ammo to the TD, the minister explained. He explained that the TD was waiting for a chance to sling mud on the government.
However, the ministers did not answer questions on whether they would approach the party high command for action against the seniors.
——–Agencies