Outraged Congress walks out over Mission Bhagiratha bunglings

Hyderabad: The main Opposition Congress party on Wednesday staged a walkout from the State Legislative Assembly after the government refused to concede its demand for constitution of House Committee to probe into the allegations of irregularities in the execution of Mission Bhagiratha works.

• Komatireddy Venkat Reddy alleges that contractors from AP have misappropriated Rs 10,000 crore
• Minister for Municipal Administration K T Rama Rao, however, denies the charge
• The Minister advises the Congress member to speak on the Fluorosis problem being faced by the people in Nalgonda district

The Congress legislators alleged that nearly Rs 10,000 crore was misappropriated by six contractors who hailed from Andhra Pradesh in the Mission Bhagiratha works. During the discussion on Demands for Grants on Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Congress MLA Komatireddy Venkat Reddy claimed to have proof to substantiate his allegations.

He said contracts worth about Rs 36,000 crore were allotted to six persons who hailed from Andhra Pradesh by dividing the Mission Bhagiratha works into 26 bits. Instead of executing the works, the contractors gave the work to sub-contractors by receiving the commission of over Rs 10,000 crore. He said the government could have saved Rs 10,000 crore if it would have executed the works by itself instead of engaging contractors.

He demanded that House Committee be constituted to probe into the alleged irregularities. He even offered to resign his MLA's post and said he would not recontest if he failed to prove the charges. Responding to the allegation, Municipal Administration Minister K Tarakarama Rao denied the allegations and rejected the demand for House Committee. KTR said that it was the previous Congress regime which was involved in corruption and irregularities.

He said he expected Venkat Reddy to talk about the problem of fluorosis problem in Nalgonda district but he had been time and again levelling allegations of irregularities in contracts. He had made same allegations during a discussion in winter session and the government had given a detailed reply proving that there were no irregularities. “Don’t show your anguish as people’s anguish,” he remarked.

Reacting to this, Venkat Reddy said that the previous Congress regime had resolved nearly 80% of flourisis problem by providing drinking water to affected areas from Nagarjuna Sagar upto Yadagirigutta. Venkat Reddy said he would approach other agencies like Vigilance & Enforcement seeking probe into Mission Bhagiratha irregularities if the government fails to set up House Committee.

KTR said that the Congress member was free to lodge his complain with any authority and the State government would not constitute a House Committee. Leader of Opposition K. Jana Reddy then announced that the Congress party was staging a walkout from the House in protest against the State government's refusal to order probe into irregularities in Mission Bhagiratha works.