Date:11/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/11/stories/2008051154180500.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

BJP mulls support to other candidates

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: A meeting of the State office bearers of BJP will be held here on Tuesday to consider extending support to other candidates where the party is not in fray in the coming byelections.

The BJP State president Bandaru Dattatreya told a news conference on Saturday that the central leadership of the party had framed certain guidelines to identify parties and candidates who could be supported.

The meeting on Tuesday would decide the party’s support keeping in view the guidelines.

Judicial probe

Mr. Dattatreya demanded a judicial inquiry into the alleged irregularities in implementation of the Outer Ring Road (ORR) project. The probe should cover why the estimated cost for different bits of works was enhanced.

He said the overall escalation in the project cost was Rs. 2,500 crore while the enhancement a km. was Rs. 17 crore.

Reservations

The BJP had strong reservations when the initial cost a km. was fixed at Rs. 22 crore. With the revised estimate going up to Rs. 39 a km. after the latest hike, the party had reason to believe that a Rs. 2,500 crore scandal was involved, he added.

He also said the BJP led NDA Government had constructed four lane roads at only Rs. four crore a km.

The roads were acknowledged as the best.

It was strange that the Government had estimaed construction of 162 km. ORR project at Rs. 22 crore a km. Such a high cost was unheard of anywhere in the world, Mr. Dattatreya said.