Bhatti rebuts Oppn talk on Singareni tenders

Hyderabad: Ina strong rebuttal of the allegations levelled by the Opposition, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu has clarified that the mandatory site visit conditions in Singareni tenders were introduced based on Coal India guidelines issued in 2018 and CMPDIL norms in 2021. Similar provisions exist in tenders issued by NMDC, the Railways, Sainik Schools, and ports across the country, he said, adding that such conditions were present also during the BRS regime. He also released some documents related to his claims. He termed as “false” the charge that the norm has been introduced by the Congress government.

The Deputy CM condemned the “propaganda” by the Opposition that Singareni tenders were awarded to the Chief Minister’s brother-in-law. In fact, it was TRS leader P Upendar Reddy’s son-in-law’s firm that lobbied for the Naini coal tenders, he added.

Addressing the media here on Saturday, the Deputy CM explained that, as recommended by CMPDI, the company has been following the mandatory site visit rule since 2018. The claim that this rule was newly introduced after the Congress government came to power is entirely false, he asserted, and reiterated that it is “a nationwide standard practice”.

“Shodha Constructions Private Limited is headed by MD Deepti Reddy, who is the daughter of former TRS MLA Kandala Upender Reddy, and Sujan Reddy is her husband”, the Deputy CM said, and reiterated that he is prepared for an investigation not only into the Naini block tender but into all tenders awarded since 2014.

As the Chief Minister is currently on a foreign tour, he said he would personally request him upon his return to order a probe so that facts come out before the public. “Singareni is the property of the people of Telangana. Smearing it with mud for personal or political gain causes irreparable damage to the state,” Bhatti warned. “I did not enter politics to amass wealth. I came to protect public assets. I will never hand over the wealth created by the sweat of Singareni workers to vultures,” he observed. The Deputy CM also rejected allegations by BRS leader Harish Rao that handing over diesel supply to contractors had opened doors to another scam. He clarified that no changes were made during their tenure, and that this system was introduced in 2022 during the previous BRS government to address GST changes and prevent diesel theft. He noted that this system is widely practiced in contracts across the state and the country.

Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu maintained that the allegations made against him by a section of media through fabricated stories and malicious writings regarding investments and contracts were “completely baseless and far from the truth”. He demanded that the management of the media outlet publicly retract the reports and admit that the writings in question are false, failing which they will be treated as acts of defamation.