KTR calls for cancellation of tenders under AMRUT scheme
Senior Congress leader Mallu Ravi said KTR had gone to Delhi to hold negotiations with the BJP national leadership as part of their secret understanding
Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao called for cancellation of tenders, worth ₹8,888 crore awarded under the AMRUT 2.0 scheme in Telangana, alleging “corruption and crony capitalism.” Rama Rao claimed that the tender process involved blatant misuse of power by the Congress-led Telangana government and raised questions about the integrity of the contracts. The development came close on the heels of a meeting between a delegation of the KTR-led BRS and Union urban development minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday, urging the Centre to cancel any illegal AMRUT 2.0 contracts in Telangana.
“There cannot be a bigger example of crony capitalism, corruption, and abuse of power,” Rama Rao said while addressing the media in the national capital on Tuesday.
The BRS leader accused the Congress government in Telangana of facilitating corruption to benefit its leaders.
KTR said, “After December 2023, the new Congress government assumed office in Telangana. The leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi keeps talking about crony capitalism, corruption, and how powerful people are abusing the proximity to power centres and amassing wealth.”
The tenders in question, issued in February, include six packages worth ₹8,888 crore. One of the key contracts, worth ₹1,137 crore, was awarded to a joint venture involving Indian Hume Pipe Company (IHP), Sodha Constructions, and AMR. According to KTR, IHP, a listed company, announced that it would only execute 20% of the project, leaving 80% to Sodha Constructions, a firm linked to Revanth Reddy’s brother-in-law, Srujan Reddy.
KTR raised concerns about the qualifications of Sodha Constructions, which recorded modest net profits of ₹3.5 crore in 2020-21 and 2021-22, and questioned its ability to handle such large-scale projects. “Sodha Constructions... lacks the credentials to handle such large projects, raising serious questions about the tendering process,” he said.
The BRS leader suggested that the awarding of these tenders was influenced by Revanth Reddy’s position as the minister for municipal administration. He argued that this amounted to a violation of legal provisions, including the Office of Profit under Article 191(1) of the Constitution, Section 9A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and Prevention of Corruption Act.
KTR also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, questioning why no action has been taken against Congress leader Revanth Reddy despite allegations. “PM says Telangana has become an ATM for the Congress. Yes, we agree, we have given proof. What is the Centre doing? PM was saying during Parliament elections that RR Tax was being taken. Why are they not taking action? This will be a litmus test for the BJP. Cancel the ₹8,000-crore contract... If you give work to families of ministers... is this not an office of profit, conflict of interest?” he asked.
“Awarding the AMRUT contracts to his brother-in-law amounted to a conflict of interest,” he said. He further argued that the tender process violated the Code of Conduct, which prohibits public representatives and their families from participating in businesses that supply goods or services to the government. “If the chief minister and his family are directly involved in corrupt practices, who will blow the whistle?” he said.
Senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha member Mallu Ravi said KTR had gone to Delhi to hold negotiations with the BJP national leadership as part of their secret understanding and the complaint against chief minister A Revanth Reddy on the alleged AMRUT scam was part of the conspiracy.
“KTR tried to instigate the BJP leaders to sling mud at Revanth Reddy. If he has any concrete evidence in the AMRUT tenders, he should hand over the same to the Central Bureau of Investigation and ask for an inquiry,” Ravi said.
The Congress MP said that like in any project, tenders were called in case of AMRUT project and awarded the contract to the lowest bidder. “I strongly condemn the allegation that Srujan Reddy is the own brother-in-law of Revanth Reddy. He is a distant relative. In fact, Srujan Reddy’s father-in-law Kandala Upender Reddy is a former BRS legislator,” he added.
