VIJAYAWADA: TDP MPs K Ram Mohan Naidu and Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar have complained to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) against large scale illegal mining of sand in Andhra Pradesh. Accusing the ruling YSRC leaders of indulging in illegal mining of sand, the TDP MPs demanded a thorough probe into it.
In separate letters addressed to the Central agencies, the TDP MPs mentioned that the YSRC government invited fresh tenders to award sand mining through e-procurement platform of MSTC Limited for the period starting from November, 2023. The tender document price was fixed at a whopping Rs 29.50 lakh, apparently to discourage competitors from making a bid.
“It is strongly believed that such extortionate cost (non-refundable) of tender document was fixed by the government to eliminate competitors and award the tender to binami firms of YSRC leaders. The entire tender process is being conducted in utmost secrecy as the pre-bid meetings are being held at Kolkata instead of in Andhra Pradesh,” the TDP MPs stated.
They further informed that the security deposit, which was fixed at Rs 120 crore for all the three packages of sand mining in the State earlier, was reduced to Rs 77 crore in the present tender. “It is shocking to note that the number of reaches and the volume of sand to be mined is the same as the previous contract. But, the security deposit has been reduced drastically. The drastic reduction of security deposit has given rise to suspicion of nepotism in the ruling YSRC,” the MPs complained.
Speaking to mediapersons at the TDP headquarters, party spokesperson Kommareddy Pattabhiram, alleged that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had reduced the security deposit for all the three sand mining packages by Rs 43 crore as a Dasara gift to his own followers.“Now, the reserve price for the package 2 has been reduced by Rs 50 crore, which is nothing but a Diwali gift to them,” he observed.
No anomalies in tendering process: Director of Mines
VIJAYAWADA: Rubbishing the allegations of TDP MPs on the sand tendering process in the State, Director of Mines and Geology VG Venkata Reddy said the Opposition leaders had resorted to intentional mud slinging due to ill political motives. Attributing the changes in the package reserve prices due to reconstitution of districts in the State, Venkata Reddy faulted the TDP MPs for making false allegations against the government without having any basic knowledge of it.
In a release issued on Sunday, the Director of Mines and Geology said tenders were invited on October 7 after setting Rs 1,529 crore as the cumulative reserve price for all the three sand mining packages.On the charge of the TDP MPs on the reduction of the reserve price of package 2 compared to that of in 2021, he said despite the fact that the reserve price for the three packages was fixed at Rs 1,529 crore in the fresh tenders as against Rs 1,510 crore in 2021, the Opposition leaders resorted to making false allegations.
In fact, except in the case of second package, there is an increase in the reserve price for the other two packages. The reserve price, which was Rs 470 crore for the first package in 2021, was now fixed at Rs 533 crore. For the second package, the reserve price was Rs 740 crore in 2021 and it was fixed at Rs 691 crore now. Similarly, the reserve price, which was Rs 300 crore in 2021, was increased to Rs 306 crore in the present tenders, he explained.
About 20 sand reaches located in the erstwhile West Godavari district under the second package, came under East Godavari now, which is in the first package after the reconstitution of districts.As per the environmental clearance, 14.60 lakh metric tonnes of sand that cost around Rs 55 crore now has come under the first package and the same was fixed as the reserve price. The same Rs 55 crore was reduced in the reserve price fixed for the second package, he reasoned and found fault with the TDP leaders for terming the reduction in reserve prices as Dasara and Diwali discounts.