KTR accuses Revanth Reddy of Rs 8,888 crore AMRUT tender scam, cites evidence of corruption

HYDERABAD: BRS working president K Taraka Rama Rao accused Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of orchestrating a Rs 8,888 crore corruption scam involving tenders under the AMRUT scheme.

Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, KTR presented evidence accusing Revanth Reddy of awarding contracts illegally to his brother-in-law, Srujan Reddy's company, under the pretext of joint ventures, and criticised the lack of transparency in the entire process.

KTR claimed that just three months after assuming office, in February, Revanth Reddy facilitated a massive scam through the municipal administration department. According to KTR, Srujan Reddy’s company, which had no proper qualifications, was handed contracts worth hundreds of crores. He alleged that Indian Hume Pipe (IHP) was pressured to form a joint venture with Srujan Reddy's company to bag a Rs 1,137 crore contract, with IHP executing only 20% of the work while Srujan Reddy’s company managed 80%.

The BRS leader condemned Revanth Reddy for favouring his family members at the cost of public resources, accusing him of looting the state. He alleged that Revanth Reddy, with the help of officials under pressure, diverted projects to his brother-in-law's company, using IHP as a front. He noted that IHP was forced to disclose this arrangement to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), revealing the scam.

KTR also slammed the state government for failing to disclose tender details on its website, questioning why none of the relevant government orders (GOs) related to the Rs 8,888 crore AMRUT tenders were made public. He demanded the immediate release of all tender-related documents and insisted that the contracts be cancelled to safeguard public interests.

Drawing parallels to past political scandals, KTR warned that Revanth Reddy could lose his position, similar to former leaders like Sonia Gandhi and Karnataka's B.S. Yeddyurappa, who were removed under similar accusations of corruption and misuse of office. He reminded the public that Sonia Gandhi lost her National Advisory Council position in 2006 under the Office of Profit Act, and Yeddyurappa was ousted for granting illegal mining permits to family members.

KTR further stated that BRS would continue exposing Revanth Reddy's corruption, including scams like the Kodangal Lift Irrigation project and the Four Brothers City project. He accused the Chief Minister of prioritising his brother-in-law’s business over the welfare of Telangana's citizens, comparing his actions to distributing "nectar" to his family while giving "poison" to the people.

Additionally, KTR questioned the silence of BJP leaders in Telangana, especially two Union Ministers and eight MPs, over corruption in the AMRUT scheme, which is a central government project. He speculated that there could be collusion between the BJP and Congress, noting that BJP MPs like Raghunandan Rao and MLAs like Raja Singh were refraining from criticising Revanth Reddy despite these serious allegations.

KTR demanded a full investigation into the AMRUT tender scam by central agencies. He called for the immediate cancellation of the tenders and warned that BJP's failure to act would indicate a secret political alliance with Congress to shield Revanth Reddy. He urged the BJP-led central government to order an independent inquiry to demonstrate its commitment to transparency and accountability in public projects.