The Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) conducted searches at the Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) on Monday (August 24, 2026), as part of an inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the tender processing for 156 works awarded between the 2017-18 and 2024-25 financial years, based on a private complaint.

The ACB identified discrepancies between tender percentages on the e-procurement platform and those entered in work orders. Payments were allegedly released on the basis of manipulated percentages, causing financial loss to the civic body. The works include CC roads, drainage channels, water pipelines, and civil contracts, according to sources.

The sources also said that one alleged modus operandi involved contractors securing works without participating in the prescribed tender process. In another alleged practice, a contractor would quote a substantial reduction during tendering, but the reduction would subsequently be altered to a much smaller percentage in the work order. For instance, a 25% reduction could allegedly be changed to 2.5%, resulting in a 22.5 percentage-point difference in the contract value.

The ACB is also examining allegations of contractor syndicates, through which works were allegedly secured with limited competition. There are also allegations that local political leaders and corporators used benami contractors.

Investigators are verifying the documentary trail of 156 cases, from tender initiation and e-procurement to work orders, agreements, bills, measurement books, proceedings, sanctions and payments. Note files are also being compared with current files to identify alterations or inconsistencies.

The inquiry covers junior technical officers, head draftsmen, executive engineers, and superintending engineers. The searches are being led by ACB Guntur Range DSP T.V.V. Pratap Kumar, along with inspectors B. Nagaraju, G.L. Srinivasa Rao, Katta Srinivasa Rao, Kummari Srinivasa Rao, B.V.V. Subba Rao and V. Suresh Babu, and other personnel. The operation will continue on Tuesday (August 25).

It is worth mentioning here that, during the tenures of Commissioners Kirti Chekuri and Pulli Srinivasulu, GMC had taken disciplinary action against employees and, in one case, a criminal case was registered against contractors over similar allegations. Current Commissioner K. Mayur Ashok also reportedly reviewed the files and informed the State government, seeking appropriate inquiry and action.