Hyderabad: Former minister and BRS leader T. Harish Rao on Monday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, alleging serious irregularities in the Singareni Naini tenders and internal power struggles within the Congress government.
At a media interaction held at Telangana Bhavan, Harish Rao described Revanth Reddy as an “outsourcing Chief Minister.” According to him, factional disputes had surfaced within the Congress. One group, he said, professed loyalty to Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, while another aligned with N. Chandrababu Naidu. He asserted that both political streams had worked against Telangana’s interests.
Singareni Naini tenders: Harish Rao demands answers
Referring to the Singareni Naini tenders, Harish Rao recalled that Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka had promised to place full details in the public domain. He said the Deputy CM must now clearly disclose who was behind the alleged scam.
Failure to reveal the facts, Harish Rao warned, would suggest a settlement over alleged shares. He also announced that the BRS would move the High Court with complete information related to the Naini tenders.
The former minister further alleged disputes over commissions between Revanth Reddy, Bhatti Vikramarka and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy. He questioned whether similar conflicts had emerged over Medaram tenders involving Konda Surekha and Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy.
Changes in tender process under present government
Harish Rao accused the present government of introducing a site visit condition in 2024 to control Singareni tenders. He said Singareni never followed such a practice earlier. During the BRS regime, he claimed tenders usually closed at minus 10 to minus 20 percent. In contrast, he said rates had now moved to plus 7 to plus 10 percent.
According to Harish Rao, officials used site visit certificates to decide who could submit bids. He alleged that the government blocked certain bidders and favoured select contractors.
He further claimed that authorities cancelled earlier tenders and reissued them under renamed companies at higher rates. This, he said, caused major losses to Singareni, including crores in tax revenue. Harish Rao also alleged that contractors inflated bills by routing diesel costs through their accounts to extract commissions.
CBI probe demand and CMD appointment
Alleging that a close relative of the Chief Minister oversaw the tender process, Harish Rao demanded an immediate CBI inquiry into the Singareni Naini tenders. He also urged Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy to order a probe, adding that he was ready to submit all evidence in his possession.
Pointing to administrative lapses, Harish Rao said Singareni still lacked a full-time CMD. He demanded immediate appointment to the post. He also insisted that authorities cancel all Singareni contracts issued without proper site visit certificates.