Challans fraud bigger than Telgi scam says TDP Bonda Umamaheswara Rao

Amaravati: Former MLA and TDP politburo member Bonda Umamaheswara Rao on Saturday expressed concern that a counterfeit challans scam took place in the state registrations department involving a multi-crore fraud that was much bigger than even the sensational Telgi fake stamp paper scam in the country.

Bonda Uma demanded that the state and Central governments should order a CBI probe immediately to bring out facts in the challans scam and to nab all the culprits involved in the massive looting of public wealth. Just like in the Abdul Karim Telgi scam, crores of rupees of public funds were plundered by the racket involved in the AP counterfeit challans fraud, he alleged.

In a statement here, the TDP leader said that the Jagan Mohan Reddy government should agree for the CBI probe if it had any commitment to protect the wealth and interests of the people.

Only an inquiry by a higher level institution would be able to bring out the facts in this mega scam. It was not correct on the part of the YSRCP government to wash its hands of the challans scam by simply launching enquiries against some officers.

The TDP leader demanded that the YSRCP minister concerned should resign immediately to facilitate a fair probe into the multi-crore fraud. There were reports that the minister and the ruling party leaders had received huge commissions and shares from the challans racket.

There was no action from any side against the racketeers though they have been carrying out this fraud in a big way for many months now.

Bonda Uma asserted that the challans scam would not have started in the registrations department without the involvement of the influential persons and leaders belonging to the ruling party.

A sincere probe should be conducted in order to nab the guilty persons and to save public money. If the challans racket was allowed to go scot free now, this would cause greater harm to the State in future, he said.