AP govt drops Rs 11,401-cr tenders

The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet decided on Thursday to cancel tenders for 44,195 Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) works worth Rs 11,401 crore that were initiated during the previous YSRCP government.
Information and Public Relations Minister K Parthasarathy announced the decision at a press conference held at the Secretariat in Amaravati. Explaining the rationale, he stated that several projects had either not started or were only 25 per cent complete.
“The tenders for these works will be cancelled, and fresh tenders will be invited. Additionally, 33,717 projects at various stages of completion have been approved, with definitive timelines set for their completion,” the Minister said.
The Jal Jeevan Mission, a central government initiative, aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water to all rural households through individual tap connections by 2024. Parthasarathy added that ongoing projects in water-scarce regions like Pulivendula, Dhone, and Uddanam would continue and be completed.
Criticising the inefficiency of the previous YSRCP government, he highlighted that while some states secured funding of up to Rs 1.5 lakh crore for the scheme, the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led administration managed only Rs 26,824 crore.
Worse, only Rs 4,000 crore of the sanctioned amount was utilised, depriving millions of access to safe drinking water, the Minister alleged.
The Cabinet also decided to review poorly planned JJM projects and redesign them to better meet the needs of the people and ensure sustainable water sources.
In addition, the cabinet approved the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) to utilise Rs 33,138 crore for infrastructure development in Amaravati.
This includes the construction of quarters for IAS and gazetted officers, among other projects.
Parthasarathy noted that CRDA is securing loans from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Rs 11,000 crore from HUDCO, and Rs 5,000 crore from the German development bank KfW to complete Amaravati’s construction within three years.
The Cabinet also decided to reinstate the midday meal scheme for government junior colleges, which had been discontinued by the previous YSRCP government, along with several other key decisions