Andhra Pradesh: TDP slams Dwivedi for 'misleading people'

Mangalagiri: TDP national spokesman Kommareddy Pattabhi Ram on Monday came down heavily on panchayat raj principal secretary Gopal Krishna Dwivedi for 'giving wrong figures' with regard to the latest multi-crore sand excavation work given to Jaiprakash Jaiprakash Power Ventures Ltd.

Pattabhi asked as to why a senior IAS officer like Dwivedi has come forward to mislead the public while panchayat raj minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy has fallen silent on the massive corruption deal. It was wrong on the part of Dwivedi to say that only two crore tonnes of sand would be excavated per year while the fact was nearly 3.5 crore tonnes would be taken away from the sand reaches in the state.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, the TDP leader demanded an explanation from the IAS officer whether it was not true that the JP Power Ventures had no required experience in sand excavation and that it was also stuck in Rs 3,500 crore losses. How can Dwivedi avoid explaining the fact that all the sand reaches in the state were given to only one firm? There was clear evidence to prove that the JP Power Ventures was just a pocket firm and a benami of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Pattabhi said that the IAS officer was also not giving a convincing answer on why a higher rate of Rs. 475 was fixed per tonne of sand. It was Rs 100 more than the existing rate. Going by this, each lorry load of sand would cost Rs 4,750 at the stock point itself. With the transport, handling and delivery charges included, the total sand cost per lorry would come to anywhere near Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000. This was going to put a very huge burden on the already collapsed construction industry. The common man would not be able to take up any construction for his housing needs.

The TDP leader ridiculed the government's claim that the JP Power Ventures had accepted the sand deal though it would not bring them good profits. Going by the government's accounts, the firm would get just Rs 56 crore revenue per year. It was quite unbelievable that a firm like JP Power which was neck deep in Rs 3,500 crore losses had come forward to undertake this massive sand excavation contract for such a small margin. Moreover, this firm would have to buy over 100 JCBs 100 lorries to meet its operational tasks.

Pattabhi asserted that there was no transparency in the award of the sand excavation tender also.