Hyderabad: A division bench comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday directed the Advocate General to produce the proceedings of the Cabinet in granting approval to the drinking water project in Chittoor district before the court.
The bench was dealing with a petition by TRS MLA T. Harish Rao against Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy challenging the GOs issued by the government for the project.
The MLA has challenged a GO, issued on October 14, according administrative approval for Rs 4,300 crore for the execution of the Rs 7,390-crore drinking water supply project.
He contended that there was no Cabinet approval for the scheme as the entire Cabinet was divided on regional lines and there was no possibility of securing approval and funds from either the state Cabinet or assembly for the Chittoor project.
He alleged that keeping this situation in mind the CM adopted the backdoor method for sanction of the project by ignoring mandatory provisions of law, business rules and legislative process.
AG Sudarshan Reddy submitted that the cabinet has ratified the decision of the state government in granting administrative sanction, releasing of funds and awarding contract for the scheme.
While pointing out that if there was cabinet approval, the court would dismiss the plea, the Chief Justice told the AG to place the proceedings and adjourned the hearing for a week.
The project, taken up by Infrastructure Corporation of AP, provides water from the Kandaleru storage dam to Tirupati, Tirumala, Chittoor, Madanapalle, Palamaner and Punganur towns and scores of other villages.
Earlier, a single judge referred the petition to the division bench by observing that the matter involves larger public issues.
