Hyderabad: Exactly a week after governor Jishnu Dev Varma gave the nod to the govt to register a case against former municipal administration minister and Sircilla BRS MLA KT Rama Rao in Formula E race issue, the state cabinet on Monday gave the go-ahead to the Anti Corruption Bureau to probe financial irregularities in the matter.
The cabinet directed chief secretary A Santhi Kumari to write a letter to ACB to prosecute KTR. The cabinet discussed the alleged irregularities in the Formula E race allegedly linked to the BRS working president and also on the power purchase agreements (PPAs) entered during the previous BRS govt allegedly linked to BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao.
After the cabinet meeting, revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy told reporters in an informal chat that law will take its own course, adding that he has no idea if KTR will be arrested or not.
KTR will have to answer ACB questions: Ponguleti
The governor has given clearance to prosecute KTR in Formula E race case. The cabinet has given consent to ACB to prosecute then special chief secretary of municipal administration Arvind Kumar. We suspect there are financial irregularities while depositing Rs 55 crore to Formula E race company. All the agencies concerned will also be probed,” revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy told reporters at an informal chat after the cabinet meeting.
“KTR will have to answer before ACB officials in the Formula E race case,” he said. “If he (KTR) is clean, why is he afraid of facing inquiry,” he wondered.
The one-man commission headed by former Supreme Court judge Madan B Lokur has submitted an inquiry report on PPAs and the construction of thermal power plants to the govt two months ago.
Though the recommendations of the commission have not been revealed officially, there were indications that it found fault with KCR on the PPAs, especially with the Chhattisgarh govt and awarding the contract of construction of thermal power plants on a nomination basis. Sources said the govt has decided to table the report before assembly and take action accordingly based on the recommendations of the commission. Sources said the govt wants to discuss the report in the assembly.
Meanwhile, the cabinet has cleared two bills – panchayat raj (amendment) bill removing the two-child norm to contest in the local bodies elections and merger of panchayats in the surrounding municipalities. Though the cabinet discussed the Record of Rights Act, it has not been approved as some ministers suggested some modifications to the Act.
