Maytas won't be ousted in haste-19th Jan News

The finance minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, on Sunday said the state government will not cancel any of the projects taken up by Maytas in haste unless the company withdrew or violated agreement conditions.
Speaking to mediapersons, the minister said any decision taken in haste would not only lead to legal complications but result in financial loss to the exchequer.
“We will not cancel projects in haste. We have to show valid reasons. Similarly, we will not extend any favour by continuing with the company if it fails to meet the prescribed deadlines as per the agreement,” he said.
The minister said all the departments concerned were closely watching the day-to-day developments following the Satyam scam and will strictly follow the rules while taking any decision on withdrawing works from Maytas.
The minister further said that the projects include the Pranahitha-Chevella which is still on paper.
The irrigation department will not cancel the deal as there are chances of the company approaching the arbitrator, the minister added.
Refuting allegations of undue favours being extended to Maytas, Mr Rosaiah said all the works were allotted through bidding in which the company or its joint ventures bagged the works.
The Maytas-led consortium was the single bidder for the Machilipatnam port works while it offered net present value of Rs 1,200 crore against Rs 250 crore of the competitor in the Hyderabad Metro Rail project.
In the Rs 120-crore Gandikota road work, however, the government allotted works on a nomination basis to the contractor of the dam works to avoid delay in relief and rehabilitation work, he added.
According to the minister, the Telugu Desam had sanctioned Rs 278.74-crore worth irrigation works which was 12.2 per cent of the total works sanctioned by it, while the Congress gave Rs 5,439-crore
worth works to Maytas out of the Rs 79,418-crore Jalayagnam works which is 6.8 per cent.
Mr Rosaiah said the government had paid mobilisation advance of Rs 188 crore to Maytas of which Rs 103 crore was recovered. The department has bank guarantee for the remaining amount.
This apart, the company’s bills worth Rs 156 crore are yet to be cleared by the government, he added.
The finance minister dismissed the Opposition’s demand to make the files relating to Maytas works open stating that anyone could obtain details under the Right to Information Act.