Officials found wanting
The Public Accounts Committee of the state legislative Assembly expressed unhappiness over the response of the officials to its probe into irregularities in land allotments. The committee which met here on Tuesday decided to write to chief secretary Minnie Mathew to appoint a high-level official committee with principal secretaries of revenue, major industries and municipal administration to assist the committee. Referring to a report submitted by Visakhapatnam district officials on the Hinduja power project, the committee members felt that it was similar to the one submitted by the management of the Hinduja power project.
The committee recently visited the Hinduja site in the coastal city and asked the collector to submit a comprehensive report. “Both sides have stated that the land allotment and rehabilitation have been carried out as per rules and regulations,” a member said adding that the committee would not have taken pains to try to set things right if everything had been as per rules. The committee members also pointed out that the company had neither obtained permissions from local bodies nor paid any compensation.
It also raised questions about the changes in the memorandum of understanding reducing the state’s share in the power generated to 25 per cent. The PAC also decided that sub-committees should be formed with its members to thoroughly look into the land allotments in the three regions. A committee will look into the allotments in north coastal districts, including Vishakhapatnam besides East and West Godavari districts while the other will look into allotments in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts.
The third one will handle allotments in Rayalaseema districts.
The committee also reviewed the CAG’s findings in the animal husbandry department.
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