Ever since the YSR Congress party government headed by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has started taking up reverse tendering process for all major contracts awarded by the previous Telugu Desam Party regime, the opposition Telugu Desam Party leaders appear to be in jitters.
Right from the reverse tendering of Polavaram project in which the YSR government claimed to be saving nearly Rs 800 crore to the latest instance of reverse tendering in Veligonda tunnel project in which there would be saving of another Rs 60 crore, the TDP leaders are crying foul.
Irrigation minister P Anil Kumar said another Rs 500 crore would be saved through reverse tendering in other projects like housing.
“The fact that we could save nearly Rs 1500 crore means the previous government benefitted the contractors with so much money. And it would have been pocketed by the TDP leaders,” Anil Kumar said.
Forgetting Anil Kumar’s allegations, the TDP leaders – whether it is Devineni Nehru or Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy or Panchumarthi Anuradha, are not able to explain why they are making hue and cry over the reverse tendering process.
They have every right to question if the government stalls the projects. But here, the government is not stopping the projects but going ahead with them. Instead of completing the projects at higher cost, it is doing it at a lesser cost. So, what is the objection of the TDP leaders?
If the government is able to save the money while completing the projects, it is a point to be appreciated by the TDP leaders. Instead, they are criticising the government.
Why are they objecting? Their criticism is creating a suspicion that they are upset with the Jagan government for removing their favourite contractors. The TDP leaders should clarify.