YSRCP Alleges ₹112-Crore Laptop Procurement Scam, Raises Objections Over Undavalli Land Acquisition

Amaravati, July 2026 : Andhra Pradesh’s principal opposition party, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), on Sunday levelled serious allegations against the state government, accusing it of a ₹112-crore scam in the procurement of laptops for government schools and questioning the transparency of the tendering process. The party also alleged irregularities in the ongoing land acquisition drive in Undavalli, claiming that farmers’ rights were being violated.

Addressing a press conference at the YSRCP central office in Tadepalli, the party’s student wing working president, A. Ravichandra, alleged that the Education Department had manipulated tender conditions to favour private companies while causing a substantial financial loss to the state exchequer.

According to Ravichandra, the government has initiated the procurement of 27,672 laptops for computer laboratories in nearly 3,500 government high schools across Andhra Pradesh. He claimed that the contracts were divided in a ratio of 70:30 between Shanbe and Celkon after tender norms were allegedly relaxed to accommodate the selected suppliers.

The YSRCP leader alleged that laptops with specifications similar to those available in the open market for ₹45,000 to ₹50,000 were being purchased by the government at approximately ₹89,000 apiece. He argued that the nearly ₹40,000 difference per unit would result in an estimated excess expenditure of around ₹112 crore.

Ravichandra further claimed that the procurement process ignored the Central government’s Make in India initiative as well as the guidelines of the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), which is designed to ensure transparent and cost-effective government purchases.

Drawing a comparison with another state, he said that the Assam Education Department had recently procured laptops with similar specifications through the GeM portal at ₹38,501 per unit. He questioned why Andhra Pradesh was paying more than twice that amount for comparable devices.

He also alleged that mandatory conditions requiring detailed manufacturer information had been diluted and replaced with self-declaration norms, a move he claimed was intended to benefit private contractors.

Demanding accountability, Ravichandra called upon Education Minister Nara Lokesh to publicly explain the significant price variation and disclose every aspect of the tendering process. He urged the government to immediately suspend the procurement, cancel the existing tenders and order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged irregularities.

Warning of statewide protests, Ravichandra said the YSRCP Student Wing would launch an agitation if the government failed to initiate corrective measures and ensure transparent procurement of quality laptops for government school students.

Meanwhile, the opposition party also intensified its criticism of the government’s land acquisition drive in the Amaravati capital region.

YSRCP Legal Cell President Manohar Reddy alleged that the acquisition of agricultural land in Undavalli was being carried out in a coercive manner, severely affecting the livelihood of farmers.

He claimed that a heavy police deployment accompanied by bulldozers was used to clear agricultural fields, destroying standing banana plantations and other crops before taking possession of the land.

According to Manohar Reddy, farmers from Undavalli, Penumaka and Nidamarru have consistently maintained since 2014 that their lands are highly fertile three-crop agricultural fields and should not be acquired for development projects. Despite repeated objections and legal challenges, he alleged, the government proceeded with construction activities without adequately addressing farmers’ concerns.

He questioned the urgency shown by the administration, particularly when a writ petition challenging the acquisition remains pending before the Andhra Pradesh High Court. He alleged that authorities deliberately chose to carry out the operation over the weekend, thereby limiting the farmers’ ability to seek immediate legal intervention.

Raising legal concerns, Manohar Reddy asked whether initiating land possession before filing a counter-affidavit in the High Court amounted to contempt of court.

He further alleged that the government had neither provided farmers with copies of land acquisition awards nor adequately explained the compensation package. According to him, compensation cheques were reportedly prepared even before authorities collected farmers’ bank account details.

The YSRCP leader also questioned the compensation being offered, alleging that while land in the surrounding areas had reportedly been purchased by TDP leaders and their associates at around ₹8 crore per acre, affected farmers were being offered only about ₹2.60 crore per acre.

Calling for immediate intervention, Manohar Reddy demanded that all land acquisition activities in Undavalli be halted until the High Court delivers its final judgment on the matter. He also sought action against officials allegedly responsible for destroying standing crops and called upon the government to disclose details of land transactions involving TDP leaders in Undavalli and Penumaka.

He further alleged that the acquired land could eventually be transferred to private commercial entities under the proposed riverfront development project, a claim that the government has not responded to.

The Andhra Pradesh government has not yet issued an official response to the allegations made by the YSRCP regarding either the laptop procurement process or the land acquisition exercise.