Manne Krishank accuses state govt of overpricing Poshan Abhiyan smartphones
HYDERABAD: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader Manne Krishank has alleged that the Telangana government led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy siphoned off ₹50 crore in the procurement of smartphones for Anganwadi workers under the Centre’s Poshan Abhiyan scheme.
Tender price higher than prevailing market rates, says BRS leader
Krishank said the government approved the purchase of Samsung Galaxy A06 smartphones at ₹14,213 per unit, while the same model was available in the open market for about ₹11,999. He alleged that the difference in rates indicated large-scale irregularities in the tender process.
He claimed that the procurement involved thousands of units, resulting in an estimated excess burden of ₹50 crore on the exchequer. The scheme aims to strengthen nutrition monitoring and service delivery at Anganwadi centres through digital tools.
Opposition cites earlier discrepancy in minister’s department procurement
The BRS leader also referred to a previous alleged discrepancy of ₹8.44 crore in procurements linked to the department headed by minister Seethakka. He said the latest tender raised fresh concerns about transparency in government purchases.
Krishank demanded a detailed inquiry into the tendering process and sought disclosure of the criteria used to finalise rates. The state government has not yet issued a formal response to the allegations.
