Minister rebuts charge of irregularities in MB

​Hyderabad: The short discussion on Mission Bhagiratha witnessed some fireworks in the State Assembly as senior Congress leader N Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that there were several irregularities in awarding the contracts.

He accused the government of relaxing eligibility norms to favour some contractors under the project. He also said the TRS government was awarding contracts to the AP-based contractors while accusing the previous Congress government of favouring industrialists and contractors from Andhra Pradesh.

Bhatti Vikramarka, Congress, charged the government with showing as if pipelines were laid, but in fact they already existed at those places.

He also wanted to know the rationale in taking up the works at a whopping Rs 42,000 crore cost and demanded a House probe be into the alleged corruption in the works.

He also demanded that the issue be referred to the Central Vigilance Commission. Reacting to the Opposition charges of irregularities in awarding contracts in the project, Minister for IT and Industries K Taraka Rama Rao said the Congress party had no right to point an accusing finger at the TRS government.

He said all major scams had taken place during the Congress regime both at the Centre and in the State. He said the Congress party did not leave even air or water.

The Minister asserted that the TRS government was committed to provide safe drinking water to every household in the State as part of its ambitious project Mission Bhagiratha.

He said the project would address the scarcity of drinking water and would provide relief to those affected by highly polluted drinking water.

He said the project was going at right pace and assured that the government would complete it as
promised.

"We have promised not to seek votes in next elections if we do not complete the project on time," the Minister said.