SRINAGAR: In a recent development, a Lucknow-based infrastructure firm, Apco Infratech Private Limited, has come under scrutiny for its hefty donations to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) amid securing lucrative government contracts, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest.
One such project is the construction of the 6.4 km-long Z-Morh tunnel in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir, awarded to Apco Infratech in December 2019. Valued at Rs 2,716 crore, this tunnel holds strategic significance for both regional connectivity and national security, as it lies on the crucial Srinagar-Leh national highway.
“Less than four weeks after receiving the go-ahead for the project – on 15 January, 2020 – the firm purchased 10 electoral bonds worth Rs 1 crore each,” a report in Scroll said. “The Bharatiya Janata Party encashed the bonds six days later.”
The controversy stems from revelations that Apco Infratech purchased electoral bonds totaling Rs 30 crore, all of which were directed to the BJP, as disclosed by the Election Commission of India. This revelation has ignited concerns over the intersection of business interests and political contributions, particularly in the context of the firm’s involvement in critical infrastructure projects across various states, including Jammu and Kashmir.
Besides, Apco Infratech’s involvement in other major projects, such as the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, has raised eyebrows. The firm secured contracts for two sections of this expressway in Jammu division, amounting to Rs 1547.91 crore, shortly after donating Rs 10 crore worth of electoral bonds to the BJP in January 2022.
“In January 2022, the firm donated electoral bonds worth Rs 10 crore to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Seven months later, the firm won a contract from the National Highways Authority of India to construct a 28.92 km stretch of the 650-km Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway,” the report said. “Being constructed at a cost of Rs 1547.91 crore, the firm has won the contract to build two stretches – a 13.3 km section between Kunjwani and Sidhra and a 15.62 km section between Domel and Katra – in the Jammu division of Jammu and Kashmir.”
This investigation, conducted jointly by Newslaundry, Scroll, The News Minute, and independent journalists, underscores the importance of accountability and ethical conduct in the realm of infrastructure development and political financing.
