Irregularities in TUDA under vigilance scanner
Vigilance probe focuses on projects undertaken between 2019 and 2023 as allegations of financial ir-regularities surface
Tirupati : A slew of citizen complaints alleging corruption and malpractice under the previous YSRCP government in the Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) has prompted the state government to initiate a vigilance inquiry. Concerns about financial mismanagement during the last five years have come under scrutiny, with investigators focusing on discrepancies in TUDA accounts and tendering processes.
The vigilance department has focused on the projects undertaken between 2019 and 2023 to analyse the financial irregularities that led to a significant budget deficit, despite the YSRCP government begin-ning its tenure with a surplus.
Officials have emphasised the need to examine all accounts meticulously to uncover potential instances of malpractice. Needless to say that YSRCP leader Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy was the TUDA chairman for the most of the period while in the last year his son Mohith Reddy assumed that position.
Particular attention has been drawn to the tendering process, which has raised suspicions of financial irregularities through manipulated contracts. A vigilance report revealed that tenders for 56 projects worth Rs 22 crore were issued during 2020-21.
This figure rose sharply to 407 projects amounting to Rs 140 crore in 2021-22 and further to 156 pro-jects worth Rs 472 crore in 2022-23. The dramatic increase has prompted questions about the trans-parency and fairness of the tendering procedures.
It was learnt that the vigilance officials noted instances where tenders received no bids, hinting at possi-ble non-competitive practices or preferential awarding to select contractors.
The state government has directed the submission of all pertinent documents from TUDA Vice Chairman to identify specific instances of malpractice. The inquiry aims to restore public trust and address allega-tions of corruption during the tenure of the previous administration.
If the allegations prove true, stringent measures may be implemented against those involved, alongside reforms in tendering and financial management processes to prevent future occurrences.
It may be recalled here that at a recent review meeting held by Urban Development Minister Dr P Nara-yana, Chandragiri MLA Pulivarthi Nani called for a thorough investigation into alleged fund mismanage-ment and advocated for increased funding for urban development for which the minister responded positively.