Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Saturday, September 14, criticised Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy‘s for not taking action against the Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited (MEIL). According to KTR, MEIL is responsible for the collapse of the retaining wall of the Sunkishala project.
On August 1, the retaining wall of Nagarjuna Sagar Dam’s Sunkishala project collapsed. The incident which came to light a week after the collapse, prompted the opposition BRS to slam the ruling Congress for favouring MEIL, the company responsible for the construction.
“Megha Engineering needs to be blacklisted and an enquiry needs to be called. Not a single contract should be awarded to them,” KTR said, adding that the Kodangal Lift irrigation project’s contract was given to Megha Company and Raghava Constructions, a company operated by Cabinet minister Ponguleti Srinivas.
KTR also hinted at Congress-BJP’s friendship in Delhi stating, “When Kaleshwaram project’s Medigadda barrage collapsed, the Union stepped in, a team of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDSA) came to investigate. Why isn’t the same happening now?” he asked.
In the past, CM Revanth had been heavily critical of Megha Engineering and its chief Krishna Reddy dubbing him a “big thief”. As the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief, Revanth Reddy in January 2022 demanded a high-level judicial probe against (Irrigation) Special Chief Secretary Rajat Kumar and MEIL.
“Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL), the construction company that has been given several government contracts, should not be awarded any fresh contract until the probe is completed,” Revanth said following TNM’s investigation that found that MEIL had coordinated and planned the lavish wedding celebrations of Rajat Kumar’s daughter Anjali, which took place in December 2021.
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Following the Supreme Court verdict on electoral bonds, it came to light that MEIL made a number of electoral bond purchases. The firm donated the highest amount of about Rs 585 crore to the BJP, followed by Rs 195 crore to BRS, and Rs 85 crore to the DMK.
The Megha group, headquartered in Hyderabad has won several government projects, including many works part of the Rs 1.15 lakh crore Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project in Telangana, and the Rs 14,400 crore Thane-Borivali Twin Tunnel Project in Maharashtra.
“The company was established in 1989 as a small fabrication unit. In due course of time, the unit made a name for itself in the manufacturing and engineering sector,” according to the company’s website.
MEIL was also the largest donor to Prudent Electoral Trust in 2022-23, contributing Rs 83 crore to the trust that distributes money to political parties. In that year, Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) received Rs 90 crore from Prudent Electoral Trust.
The company also bagged the Rs 4500 crore worth Zojila tunnel project in Jammu and Kashmir and was involved in Uttarkashi tunnel construction which collapsed in November 2023.