Hyderabad, Nov 6: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has called on the Telangana government to take decisive action against Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Limited (MEIL), demanding its blacklisting following the collapse of a retaining wall at the under-construction intake well and pump house complex of the Sunkishala project. The party has also urged the cancellation of the tender awarded to MEIL and Raghava Construction, linked to Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, for the Narayanpet-Kodangal Lift Irrigation Project.
K. T. Rama Rao, BRS working president and former minister, criticized the Congress government for failing to implement the recommendations of an inquiry committee that investigated the Sunkishala incident. “Why has MEIL not been blacklisted despite the committee’s findings that negligence by the contractor led to this accident?” he questioned, emphasizing the need for accountability.
KTR, as he is commonly known, alleged corruption in the awarding of contracts worth ₹4,350 crore for two packages of the Narayanpet-Kodangal project to MEIL and Raghava Construction. He reminded Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of his previous stance as opposition leader, where he labeled MEIL as the “East India Company” and accused party leaders of calling it “mafia.”
The BRS leader criticized the government’s decision to award contracts to MEIL despite the contractor’s involvement in the recent accident. He highlighted that former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao originally designed the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Project to cover two lakh acres, but under the Congress administration, it was renamed and reduced to one lakh acres. KTR expressed concerns over the disqualification of internationally reputed companies such as L&T and NCC during the bidding process, questioning the transparency and motivations behind the awarded contracts.
“Chief Minister, you must explain to the public why these contracts were granted. What is your commission in this, and what is Rahul Gandhi’s commission?” he demanded.
KTR also noted that MEIL recently donated ₹200 crore to the Skill University, raising further suspicions regarding the company’s influence. He mentioned a new project worth ₹5,520 crore aimed at pumping Kaleshwaram water from the Mallannasagar reservoir to the Musi River, referencing past Congress criticisms of the Kaleshwaram project’s integrity.
The BRS leader questioned the legitimacy of awarding contracts to a company associated with a Cabinet minister and challenged the effectiveness of central investigative agencies like the ED, CBI, IT, and CVC. He accused Congress and BJP of collusion, highlighting the lack of action following recent ED raids on Minister Reddy.
KTR concluded by asserting that if the BJP was genuinely committed to combating corruption, it should launch an inquiry into the alleged AMRUT scam, where a ₹1,137 crore contract was reportedly awarded to the Chief Minister’s brother-in-law. The call for accountability underscores growing tensions between political parties in Telangana as they navigate issues of governance and integrity.