Kurnool: Allocation of Rs 120 crore to Kadapa annuity project in the maiden budget presented by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government has drawn criticism in Rayalaseema region.
The Chief Minister spelt out loudly where his interest was and topped it up with Rs 100 crore allocation to the Pulivendula Area Development Authority (PADA).
The annuity projects in Kadapa district include four-lane carriageway between Kadapa and Pulivendula which was running on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis.
BVSR Engineering executed the contract during former CM late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s tenure. The same firm was awarded formation of a new ghat road from Km 16/0 of Pulivendula-Ambaka-palli-Murarichintala Road in Kadapa district to join Mudigubba (via) Dorigallu, Pulivendula-Ambakapalli-Murari-chintala Road in Kadapa district on B.O.T. annuity basis, improvements and upgradation to two-lane road from Km 44/2 on Vempalli-Rayachoti Road up to Kadapa district border of Batrepalli–Talupulla –Gandi Road, including bypass road in Kadapa district, improvement and upgradation of two-lane road from Kamalapuram to Ayyavaripalli (via) Payasampalli, including bypass roads in Kadapa district.
National Highway Authority of India superindent engineer Obul Reddy said that no new projects are underway in the district. If budget allocation was made for annuity projects, it was for the existing projects. The government has to pay annuity to the contractor twice a year, he said.
It is learnt that the allocation of Rs 120 crore to Kadapa annuity project was going to just help mainly contractors like BVSR company and others. The puzzling question was why annuity allocation was made part of the main budget presentation, said an engineer. He said contractor lobby was working strongly on Jagan government also.
However, legislators from Kurnool district said they would also seek similar funds from the government to develop their own constituencies.
Panyam MLA Katasani Rambhupal Reddy said while the maiden budget was excellent, they were awaiting to get allocations from the second budget (2020-21) onwards.
On Pulivendula development authority, he said the CM wants to develop his constituency and that they welcome it. However, he said they would seek funds to develop their areas too.
Kurnool MLA Hafeez Khan said the water requirement of Kurnool city was more important to him and felt that it would have been good if the Gundrevula and Vedavathi reservoirs were also given funds.
The budget was presented by Dhone MLA Buggana Rajendranath Reddy and we hope that our finance minister would take care of the interests of the region, Mr Khan said.
Nandyal MLA Silpa Ravi Chandra Kishore Reddy said the first budget was only focusing on giving 100 per cent allocation to the manifesto which consists of Navaratnalu. “We hope the subsequent budgets would address concerns in various areas.”
Katasani Rambhupal Reddy said our leader Y.S. Jagan is not like former CM Chandra-babu Naidu. The second budget next year would allocate funds to projects covering all the areas in the Rayalaseema region.
