Karimnagar Circuit Guest House
The vigilance inquiry into the Karimnagar Smart City project, which involved hundreds of crores in funds during the BRS regime, is ongoing. It appears that the State government will allocate funds for the project’s completion only after completing the investigation into the irregularities.
Irregularities identified by vigilance officials include inflating estimates for some works, releasing funds without proper quality checks, and completing works ahead of schedule. All files related to the Smart City Project, CM Assurance Funds, and works funded by other departments have been seized for a thorough investigation.
Pressure has increased on contractors and engineers involved in Karimnagar Smart City works after Minister Ponnam Prabhakar commented on corruption in the project. Allegations of corruption mainly focus on beautification works at junctions, with claims that estimates were inflated and subpar materials were used.
The R&B Guest House in Karimnagar, initially estimated at Rs7.05 crore, ended up costing about Rs13 crore. Concerns were raised about why tenders were called after the works were completed, leading to a vigilance inquiry on various development projects undertaken with CM’s assurance funds.
BRS leaders touted the Manair riverfront project as a top tourist destination, with a total cost of Rs410 crore. However, complaints arose after the Congress government took over, leading to an inquiry into the project. Minister Prabhakar announced in the Assembly that an inquiry would be conducted on the Manair riverfront to investigate any potential wrongdoing.
