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| Ponnala grilled by Lok Ayukta |
| Minister for Major Irrigation Ponnala Lakshmaiah coming out of the court of Lok Ayukta R. Ramanujam in Hyderabad
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| INDIA
, 17-April-2007
1:13:32 AM |
| Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah was summoned by the Lok Ayukta on Monday and grilled over the administrative lapses in the implementation of the multi-crore Sripadasagar (Yellampalli) project across the Godavari near Mancherial.
The inquiry in the court of Lok Ayukta R. Ramanujam, that lasted two-and-a-half hours, will continue on Wednesday morning. The Lok Ayukta took up the probe suo motu based on newspaper reports about large-scale irregularities in the project that kicked off a major controversy in the Assembly.
The incisive questioning by Justice Ramanujam stumped the Minister, who was designated as a witness, on quite a few occasions. Mr. Lakshmaiah pleaded ignorance to certain questions saying steps taken by the bureaucracy were not always brought to his notice. However, Justice Ramanujam said the officials had kept him (Mr. Lakshmaiah) in the dark.
A major lapse pointed out by the Lok Ayukta was the award of a contract to the joint venture comprising IVRCL and Nava Yuga Construction Companies on an urgent basis on March 31, 2005, while the works were grounded six months later. He felt the "urgency" that the State Government displayed in awarding the contract on the last day of the financial year was diluted by the delay in execution of works.
The Superintending Engineer in-charge of the project issued the acceptance letter to the contractors the same evening without getting a formal clearance from the Government. Justice Ramanujam questioned the Minister whether the latter knew that the Principal Secretary and Advisor to Government on Irrigation decided not to convey the decision of the Government to the contractors as the third member of a high-powered committee was not consulted. At this, Mr. Lakshmaiah replied in the negative.
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