Naidu seeks governor’s intervention to stop release of funds for select contractors
Vijayawada: Telugu Desam chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu has sought intervention of Governor S Abdul Nazeer to stop the proposed ‘out- of-turn’ release of funds for select contractors by the state government in violation of the poll code.
In a letter to the Governor on Tuesday, Naidu said, “It was reliably learnt that the AP government is planning to release huge amounts to certain contractors without following the ‘first in, first out’ bills clearance procedure.”
He alleged that, earlier also, the state government released huge amounts to various contractors by withholding release of funds for the welfare programmes under the DBT.
Naidu said that the state was surviving on loans and OD from RBI and banks on a day to day basis and there were huge commitments towards the DBT schemes. As EC had given permission to transfer funds under DBT from May 14, such commitments were to be fulfilled.
“The state government is supposed to address several commitments relating to retirement benefits, refunds of provident fund and clearance of medical reimbursement bills as also release of wages to contract workers. The panchayat raj staff were agitating for release of funds of Rs 8,000cr.”
He alleged that the state government was making fresh borrowings of
Rs 4,000cr and raised Rs 7,000cr through bonds of APMDC and expressed concern that such money might be used to clear bills to crony contractors and political friends.
Naidu urged the governor to instruct the chief secretary and finance secretary to follow the established procedures and take care of committed programmes under DBT and welfare schemes.
