Assign capital construction work to govt depts: Congress

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Friday asked the State government to stop the intervention of the Singapore companies in the capital construction. The Congress also asked the State government to assign the task of constructing the new capital to the government departments.

Speaking to The Hans India, APCC president N Raghuveera Reddy questioned the decision to give the capital work to the foreign companies. He said that the responsibility of constructing the capital was vested with the Central government in the AP Reorganisation Act.

“When the Act gives the responsibility of building the new capital for the State to the Central government, where is the need for the State government to give the task to the foreign companies,” he asked. He said that the Congress opposes the Swiss Challenge system which has been rejected by the Central government and various other government departments.

While asking the government to withdraw the Swiss Challenge system for the capital construction, he demanded that the government rope in both the State and the Central government departments to plan and build the capital.

He said that the Congress would fight against the Swiss Challenge system and also involvement of foreign companies in the capital. He alleged that the government was also planning to sell the lands in Amaravati to private and foreign companies in the name of financing the capital construction.

Stating that the lands were given by the farmers, he questioned the intentions of the government to sell the land to private and foreign companies. He feared that the Telugu Desam government was paving the way for creation of yet another East India Company-like situation in the country by involving various foreign companies.

He took strong exception to the State government’s plans to give the capital construction work to a foreign company. While stating that the Congress was not against PPP mode, he opposed the same for the construction of Constitutional buildings like Raj Bhavan, High Court, Secretariat and Assembly by private foreign companies.

He said that the Congress would protest and oppose the involvement of a foreign company in the construction of these Constitutional buildings, which reflect the sovereignty and independence of the country.

Raghuveera Reddy alleged that the Chief Minister had already signed the agreements with the Singapore companies for high kickbacks. He smelled heavy corruption involved in the government giving the capital works to the Singapore companies.

Former minister and senior Congress leader S Sailajanath also opposed Swiss Challenge for the construction of the capital. Stating that the Swiss Challenge is not a transparent system, he pointed out that the system is nothing but giving works on nomination method. He wondered why the Chief Minister was not going for global tenders seeking plans and proposals from various companies including Indian firms.

He said that the Chief Minister had signed agreement with the Singapore companies to pay 10 times of the total cost of the Amaravati project if the proposal was withdrawn. He wanted to know why the Chief Minister had agreed for such conditions that would impose a heavy burden on the people of the State.