KCR 'indulged in manipulation' in award of contracts:Congress

Congress on Monday alleged that TRS chief and caretaker chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao manipulated government contracts, mostly irrigation projects, with two engineering firms bagging works worth a staggering Rs 77,000 crore.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has refuted the allegations.

Congress spokesperson S Jaipal Reddy alleged that one engineering company alone bagged contracts worth Rs 60,000 crore for irrigation and drinking water projects while another company got contracts of Rs 17,000 crore in irrigation sector.

"These two companies together got contract works worth Rs 77,000 crore in a short period of four years," the former union minister told reporters here.

"It was made possible because KCR (as Rao is popularly known as) manipulated, orchestrated the award of contracts to them (the two companies). In normal process, it is not possible," Reddy said

He said if Congress comes to power (wins the coming assembly polls in the state), one of its first tasks would be to launch a thorough inquiry into these contracts and to see that the guilty are punished.

"We will also see that the companies involved are also punished."

Reddy also alleged that there was over estimation of 30 per cent in cost of different projects and other contractors were frightened away and the whole thing (tender process) was rigged.

Asked if he has any documents to prove his allegations, Reddy said: "I have been a Parliamentarian and I don't make allegations in the air.

I want only one favour from KCR...Let him question the facts and figures. I throw a frontal challenge to the TRS government. I challenge them to reject the figures."

Reacting to Reddy's allegations of manipulation in awarding contracts, TRS MP B Vinod Kumar said, "not at all."

Most of the contracts (for irrigation projects) were awarded in the Congress-ruled erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh under the then (late) Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, he alleged.

"During Rajasekhara Reddy's government these two contractors whom he (Jaipal Reddy) named were only contractors who were awarded the contracts.

All the contracts many of them were awarded during Rajasekhara Reddy's regime only except the barrages which are being constructed on Godavari river," Kumar said.

He said the project costs might have increased because of expanding or redesigning those projects "but they will also irrigate large areas."

On Reddy's challenge to the TRS government, Kumar said "let him challenge."