Judicial Preview Bill Passed

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh government will set up a mechanism for Judicial Preview to scrutinize all biddings for projects that are above Rs 100 crore and bring in transparency in to big-ticket deals.

The Andhra Pradesh Infrastructure (Transparency through Judicial Preview) Bill 2019 was passed by a thumping voice vote.

Intervening during the discussion on the Bill, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that this is a beginning for the transparency in governance, and it will erase the image of corruption the state has acquired by the misdeeds of the previous government.

The Bill will usher in a change and this spark will ignite the nation as such the Bill will be emulated by the entire nation, he said.

This is first time in the country that such a measure is taken to uproot corruption and bring in transparency in the process of tenders and allotting government works. Any work that is more than Rs 100 crore, even if it is split into fractions, will first be sent for a Preview which will be done by a Judge, referred to by the High Court. The Judge would place the tender or work on public domain for one week and will seek the opinion from the people. The judge will then scrutinize the tender papers and then give his final decision in eight days, during which time he will be provided with the required technical assistance and logistics which he asks for, the Chief Minister said.

The entire process takes a fortnight and this is the transparency in governance which we have promised to the people, he said.