Ganta faces his first test on home turf

BY SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Jan 30,2012: Minister for ports and infrastructure Ganta Srinivas Rao, who had said that there would be no conflict of interest between his business and his Cabinet responsibility, will face his first test on his home turf on Monday.

If the stand taken by the Telugu Desam corporators in the GVMC is anything to go by, Mr Srinivas Rao would find himself in a tight spot over a two-and-a-half acre plot of prime land located in Aseelmetta that was bagged by his firm, Pratyusha Constru-ctions.

The TD corporators plan to corner the minister in Monday's GVMC council meeting over the fact that the Mr Srinivas Rao's firm bagged the lease rights for 33 years for the land under PPP mode.

The GVMC had decided to develop nine sites in various parts of the city under Public-Private- Partnership by inviting tenders. A special technical committee was also formed in this regard.

Though the bidding was finalised by the special technical committee, it has to be approved by the Council. This will be taken up at Monday's meeting.

The TD corporators are gearing up to oppose it tooth and nail, alleging that GVMC officials helped the minister to bag the lease.

“It is clear that Mr Srinivas Rao managed the GVMC officials. Normally, the tendering process should be widely advertised. But in this case, it was not at all advertised. Not even a single big firm showed interest in this land which is located in the prime locality,” said former minister and TD district president Ch. Ayyana Patrudu.

Mr Patrudu added that no one was aware that tenders calling for development of the site in Aseelmetta near Sampath Vinayagar temple. “It was all done in a hush-hush manner,” he said.

Around 14 firms showed interest in developing the site. Out of 14 around three firms were scrutinised and among these three, Pratyusha Constructions quoted the best bid and bagged the lease.

It is learnt that Pratyusha Constructions expressed the willingness to pay Rs.2.5 crore to the GVMC annually after developing the land.

Mr Patrudu said that due to lack of proper publicity, no one came forward to take part in the bidding process. “The three firms that were finalised are also associated to Mr Srinivas Rao. The bidders were also ringed due to which the minister could get the site at a very nominal cost,” he alleged.

The TD leader added, “The GVMC council should approve the lease which is likely to be taken up tomorrow as part of the table agenda. Our corporators would definitely oppose it and will not allow the land to be given to minister's firm.”