According to I-T department officials, Shekar Reddy's diary entry shows as many as 40 ministers, officials and politicians receiving over Rs 300 crore bribe from him
Amid the demand for probe into the sand mining baron Sekhar Reddy's diary entries that has names of ministers, officials and politicians who took money from him, a meeting between Tamil Nadu chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan and Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao has raised several eyebrows in the ruling AIADMK.
Chief Secretary met Governor at Raj Bhavan on Thursday and had an hour-long discussion with him. Ms Girija who was holding additional charge of Vigilance portfolio was relieved from the post, and it was given to Home Secretary Niranjan Mardi, whohas a good rapport with Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. The move is significant as it has come within days after the Income Tax department wrote to the chief secretary to order vigilance probe to ascertain cash transaction by ministers and officials with Sekhar Reddy.
A senior AIADMK leader said, "It is a routine meeting. We need not read too much into it." He also dismissed the reports of I-T department writing to the state government seeking a probe on ministers and officials as a false one.
The I-T department had raided PWD contractor and former TTD board member, Sekhar Reddy and his associates in December and seized a total of Rs 131 crore in cash including Rs 34 crore worth new notes of Rs 2000, and 177 kg gold. Enforcement Directorate and CBI have registered cases separately against Sekhar Reddy and associates Srinivasulu and Prem Kumar. ED had attached all the Rs 34 crore worth new currency notes seized from him on Friday.
According to I-T department officials, Shekar Reddy's diary entry shows as many as 40 ministers, officials and politicians receiving over Rs 300 crore bribe from him. "He had collected signatures in his diary from all those people to whom he had given money. The entire dossier, with all evidence collected, had been handed over to the Tamil Nadu government for further action," the I-T official said.
State finance minister D Jayakumar dismissed the reports as false. While Law minister C Ve Shanmugham too dismissed the reports and sought to turn the heat on former CM O Panneerselvam. "Why the links between Sekhar Reddy and Panneerselvam should not be probed?" he asked.
Leader of Opposition and DMK working president MK Stalin, in a letter to Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, demanded that the state vigilance commission get an independent vigilance commissioner. Stalin also requested the Governor to direct the chief secretary to appoint a DGP level officer as the director of vigilance and anti-corruption so that the 'glorious features' of the anti-corruption machinery in the state are restored in public interest.
Stalin also took objection to 'hurried change of guard' in the State Vigilance Commission when many of the Ministers and certain Officers in the present AIADMK regime are facing serious allegations of massive corruption.
...& ANALYSIS
- While many AIADMK leaders said there is not much to read into this meeting, their insistence upon this being a ‘routine meeting’ has raised eyebrows.
- Some AIADMK leaders tried to turn this on former CM O Panneerselvam, but Opposition leader MK Stalin has focused on the need of an independent anti-vigilance commissioner.
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