New Delhi: The Delhi High Court will hear a petition October 9 alleging large-scale corruption and irregularities in controversial Indirasagar Polavaram project and seeking a CBI probe into the issue.
The public interest litigation (PIL) will be heard by a bench headed by the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court.
The petition had come up for hearing before the bench of Justice Naveen Chawala Monday. However, Justice Chawala has referred the matter to the division bench of Delhi High Court as it was a PIL.
Significantly, petitioner Pentapati Pullaroa pleaded for a CBI probe into the alleged corruption in the Polavaram project. The petitioner stated that the cost of Polavaram project has been increased from Rs 16,000 crore to Rs 58,000 crore. “Since, it’s a national project, the Union government has been funding the entire project,” the petitioner added.
The petitioner also mentioned that contracts worth Rs 5,000 crore have been allocated on the nomination basis and no tender was floated for the contracts.
“We have made several complaints to Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Water Resources but no action was taken by the Union government. We have pleaded that the CBI should register a case and investigate the corruption in the project,” the petitioner stated.
It is to be mentioned here that Odisha has also filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking stay on the Polavaram project citing that the construction has been going on without environment clearance and the operation of the project will result in submergence of huge land in Odisha.