No scam in purchase of 108, 104 vehicles: YSRCP

Amaravati: YSRCP MLA Kolusu Parthasarathy condemned the TDP leaders allegation that there was a scam in the purchase of 104 and 108 ambulances by the government and said that transparency was maintained in inviting lowest quoted tenders by the following reverse tendering. He said an unprecedented milestone has been achieved in the history of Andhra Pradesh on July 1 with the launch of the 1,088 ambulances by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, the MLA said these vehicles have been introduced as the government believes in protecting the lives of patients during the difficult times of the Covid-19 pandemic. He ridiculed opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu's claim that there is a Rs 300 crore scam in the purchase of the vehicles and said only Rs 200 crore was spent to purchase the vehicles.

He said one vehicle for each district equipped with the latest technology and there is a provision to ensure that doctors conduct 29 kinds of tests in emergency cases. While earlier there was scope for conducting only sugar and BP tests, now even electronic health record of the patient can be prepared in the vehicle. Moreover, two neo-natal ambulances each have been allocated for each district to take care of children, he added.

Naidu has been going on claiming that he had launched 1,800 ambulances during his regime which is far from the truth. Only 150 vehicles were plied during the TDP rule and most of them became defunct, he said. Ambulances were first introduced by the then Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy but they were left in a state of disuse by Naidu as he was afraid that the credit for introducing mobile health care units would go to Rajasekhar Reddy, he said.

With reference to Naidu's allegations that the ambulances contract was entrusted to Aurobindo Pharma as it belonged to the kin of YSRCP MP Vijay Sai Reddy, the MLA said Aurobindo Pharma has established its roots in nearly 100 countries and it does not need anybody's favour.

He dismissed TDP allegations in a section of the media that Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, Vijay Sai Reddy and Subba Reddy formed a coterie in the party, and said the party cadre strongly believes in their leadership as they have been striving for the party's growth right from its inception. In this connection, the MLA made fun of how Naidu shamelessly projected his son as the national general secretary and also entrusted him with an MLC and minister's posts.