Amaravati tenders transparent, avers Narayana
Amaravati: Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister P Narayana on Saturday dismissed YSR Congress Party’s allegations of irregularities in Amaravati construction works, asserting that all tenders related to works in the capital were issued following a transparent process. He accused YSRCP leader Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy of attempting to malign the state capital.
Speaking to the media at the Chief Minister’s camp office in Undavalli, Narayana said the Telugu Desam Party-led government had complete clarity that Amaravati is the capital of Andhra Pradesh and challenged the YSRCP to clearly state where it believes the capital should be located. “We know where the capital is. The YSRCP should first clarify its position,” he said.
Refuting criticism over Amaravati’s location, the Minister said opposition leaders were speaking without understanding the difference between a riverbed and a river basin. He pointed out that several major cities across the world have developed in river basins.
Narayana accused YSRCP leaders, who “previously avoided engaging with Amaravati farmers”, of now showing “artificial concern” for political reasons. He said works relating to the capital were delayed due to “mismanagement and policy paralysis under the previous government”.
The Minister categorically rejected allegations of favouritism in tenders, stating that all Amaravati construction tenders were called following due process and in a completely transparent manner. “Unnecessary allegations are being made only to defame the capital city and mislead the public,” he said.
On comparisons being made with the Telangana Secretariat, Narayana said Amaravati’s Secretariat is designed to house Ministers, officials, heads of departments, and government corporations in one place to improve administrative efficiency and bring governance closer to people. He advised former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to “study the facts before making statements on Amaravati”, reiterating that the capital is being developed with a clear vision and long-term planning.
