Whether it is YSR Congress party or the Telugu Desam Party-led coalition which is in power in Andhra Pradesh, it is the contractors who have been calling shots in the government and grabbing contractors.
What is interesting is that the ruling and the opposition parties remain silent when these contractors are favoured by the governments, because they have tacit support from all parties.
The latest case of the Chandrababu Naidu government inflating costs and manipulating tender conditions to favour a select group of contractors in the power sector has become a talking point in the media circles.
According to the allegations, virtually every major government contract is being awarded to a close-knit contractor lobby, irrespective of criticism from the opposition, sections of the media, or even dissatisfaction within the ruling party itself.
The controversy centres on power distribution system restructuring works aimed at providing nine hours of uninterrupted electricity supply to agriculture.
Tenders for these works were originally called during the previous government but stalled due to inaction. After the change in government, the projects were revived.
While the original estimated cost of the works was Rs 1,039 crore, the tender notification was allegedly withdrawn from the website and reissued with revised conditions, inflating the project cost to nearly Rs 1,200 crore.
Tender norms were allegedly altered in a manner that prevented small contractors from participating. It is alleged that cost estimates were exaggerated to the extent of double the actual cost.
Notably, opposition leader Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and his party newspaper Sakshi have remained silent on the issue.
In contrast, Eenadu published multiple detailed reports highlighting alleged irregularities, naming contractors and questioning the altered tender conditions.
Observers note that chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who traditionally responds swiftly to criticism in Eenadu, has remained unmoved despite repeated reports.
“Public funds are being diverted to private interests with impunity and warn that the perception that “contractors, not governments, control the system” could have serious political consequences,” an analyst said.