GUNTUR: The YSR Congress and the Telugu Desam are competing with each other to visit Krishna Pushkar ghats. YSRC team led by Mangalagiri MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, Ambati Rambabu and others visited Pushkar ghats which were under construction from old Amaravati to Seethanagaram. Expressing dissatisfaction over the Pushkar ghat works, they alleged using of poor quality material in the ghat construction to benefit TD associated contractors and feared about difficulties to the public during the Pushkaralu.

Meanwhile, minister for agriculture P. Pulla Rao, along with Tadikonda MLA T. Sravan Kumar, Pedakurapadu MLA K. Sridhar and others visited Tallayapalem Pushkar ghat and refuted the allegations of the YSRC. The YSRC announced about visiting the Krishna Pushkar ghats on Tuesday. The TD gave shock to the YSRC leaders with the sudden visit of ghats immediately after the visit of YSRC team.

MLA Ramakrishna Reddy, YSRC Guntur president M. Rajasekhar, Ambati Rambabu and others inspected the ongoing ghat works at old Amaravati, Harischandrapuram, Tallayapalem, Undavalli and Seethangaram. They alleged that the contractors are using sand available in the Krishna River but claiming bills showing purchase of sand for `200 per cubic meter which shows the corruption in the works.

They alleged that low grade cement, cheap tiles, weak iron and substandard material were used for the construction of the ghats which did not give any guarantee of the structures. They alleged that the newly laid tiles started to break and cement flooring was also breaking on the ghats due to substandard material. They demanded immediate inspection of ghats by expert engineers and stern action against the TD contractors for violating norms.

The YSRC team said that they will prepare a detailed report about the anomalies and would submit to YSRC president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and to the government. The programme of Mr Pulla Rao was not planned but as the YSRC team visited every ghat, the TD leaders asked Mr Pulla Rao and Mr Sravan Kumar to strike back at the YSRC visit. Immediately, Mr Pulla Rao and Mr Sravan Kum-ar started to old Amaravati and further visited other ghats. Mr Pulla Rao refuted allegations of the YSRC and warned that the payments would be stopped and contractors will be put under blacklist if they violate norms.

He said that there are 80 Pushkar ghats in Guntur district in which four ghats namely old Amaravati, Seethanagaram, Tallyapalem and Penu-mudi are big and important ghats. He said that Rs 800 crore was sanctioned for the Pushkar works and all the ghat works would be completed by July 30.