KCR's clean and corruption free governance under threat from TRS ministers

It appears that in spite of Telengana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao making it known that there will be zero tolerance for corruption by sacking his deputy CM Rajaiah, TRS ministers are hardly taking it as example. Several Telangana ministers are allegedly involved in scams and causing embarrassment to the TRS leadership.

One such incident is Agriculture minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy building a ground-plus-six-floor building in his constituency Banswada in Nizamabad district though the local gram panchayat had approved only ground-plus four construction. The building has also encroached part of the road. He also has links with the sand mafia, it is alleged.

Further a local BJP leader in Banswada, who procured information of the minister's scam from the gram panchayat under RTI, was arrested on March 27. In a protest against the arrest of its leader, the BJP called for a ‘Banswada bandh’ on March 28, leading to complete shutdown of the town on Saturday.

Recently, power minister G. Jagadish Reddy recommended processing of a file recommending handing over government college land in Medak back to the family that had donated it a few decades ago. Over 40 acres of land in Jagadevpur had been donated to the state government by one Narasimha Reddy to set up educational institutions in 1969. Recently, the donor’s sons asked for the land to be handed back citing deviations. Minister Jagadish Reddy who instead of defending the Government had recommended the revenue department to return the land.

The Chief Minister has asked ministers to file defamation cases against those who make false allegations against them but both the ministers are yet to file the cases. Earlier, ministers Srinvas and T. Harish Rao too had faced allegations of having links with illegal sand miners in Nizamabad. Both made empty threats to sue TD MLA A. Revanth Reddy.

Similarly, endowments and housing minister A. Indrakaran Reddy is facing allegations of encroaching on tank bed and lake land in his home constituency Nirmal in Adilabad district. Reddy, however, has denied this and has filed a defamation suit against a vernacular daily. Transport minister P. Mahender Reddy, meanwhile, is facing allegations of being involved in land settlements in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts, which he has denied.

All these allegations and accusations against ministers have been brought to the notice of the Chief Minister who is apparently monitoring them and sought independent investigations from the intelligence departments. Before the Assembly session the Police department submitted a 42-page document to the CM which he is expected to act upon after the assembly session.

It now remains to be seen how Mr Chandrasekhar Rao will react and control his ministers for stirring up unnecessary controversies and embarrassing the TRS government, which promised a “clean and corruption-free administration” from the day it took charge, on June 2, 2014.