It looks like YSR Congress party government headed by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has decided to cancel everything that the previous Telugu Desam Party government had started and take them up afresh.
After stalling works on Amaravati capital city project, terminating contractor from Polavaram project and reviewing the power purchase agreements entered into by the Chandrababu Naidu government on the pretext of corruption, the Jagan government has now turned its attention on weaker section housing scheme.
Minister for municipal administration and urban development Botsa Satyanarayana alleged that the previous TDP government had approved tenders for NTR Housing Scheme built under PM Awas Yojana scheme of the Centre at a very high rates, benefitting the contractors.
So, the present government would ask the contractors to bring down the construction rates and pay back the excess amount to the government.
“Otherwise, we shall cancel all the tenders for housing and go in for reverse tendering to reduce the cost,” he threatened.
Botsa said though the government had allocated lands for the housing scheme, the contractors had quoted very high rates, compared to even big real estate firms.
The minister also defended closure of Anna Canteens.
“It is only a temporary closure. The previous government had opened Anna Canteens indiscriminately without any rationale. Now, we shall streamline and reopen them. If necessary, we shall start mobile canteens in the areas where there is heavy rush,” he said.