Botcha questions order favouring irrigation contractors

News reports suggest govt's move would impose additional financial burden of Rs 20,000 cr on state exchequer

A state government order raising rates of labour and materials of the balance works to contractors under various irrigation projects retrospectively from April this year kicked up a row on Monday with chief minister’s senior cabinet colleague and Pradesh Congress Committee president Botcha Satyanarayana asking him to keep the GO in abeyance.

Some news reports suggested the government's move would impose an additional financial burden of Rs 20,000 crore on the state exchequer.

“Such a huge burden on the exchequer is a matter of serious concern and significance, which needs to be deliberated upon thoroughly by the council of ministers before arriving at a decision. Surprisingly, this has not been done,” he said in a note addressed to chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and raised the same at a Cabinet meeting held to approve the Budget proposals earlier in the day.

He also asked the state vigilance commission not to process the retirement papers of the chief secretary for failing to bring this issue to the notice of the state Cabinet.

The order issued by principal secretary - irrigation Adityanath Das on February 7 says changes, including adjustment of rates, were issued based on the recommendations of a group of ministers constituted in February 2012.    

According to the minister, these orders provided a lot of cushion and facilities to the contractors. He sought the order be kept in abeyance till the same is considered and approved by the Cabinet.