PNS|Vijayawada
Advisor to the Government on Public Affairs and general secretary of the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, has called upon Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu to respond to the I-T notice concerning alleged bribes amounting to Rs 118 crore during the construction of temporary structures in Amaravati, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh.
During a press conference held at the YSRCP party office on Saturday, Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy displayed the I-T notices to the media and offered a comprehensive explanation of their contents.
He said that the I-T department had presented concrete evidence of kickbacks received by Chandrababu Naidu through shell companies, which had also been reported in both national and local media outlets.
Sajjala insisted that Chandrababu Naidu address the notices and make the scanned copies available to the public. He further elaborated on the notices, stating that their contents were unequivocal and left no room for speculation.
He noted that Chandrababu Naidu had previously responded to notices issued by the I-T department, indicating his awareness of the situation.
The I-T department had previously conducted searches at the residences of Chandrababu Naidu’s private secretary, Srinivas, as well as at the home and office of Manoj Vasudev Pardasany, in an effort to unearth evidence of corruption linked to Chandrababu Naidu.
Sajjala Reddy alleged that Chandrababu Naidu had received kickbacks amounting to Rs 118.98 crore from two companies, L&T and Shapoorji Pallonji, through shell companies in exchange for awarding them contracts in Amaravati. He highlighted that the I-T department had issued notices to Chandrababu Naidu, and if there was no truth to these claims, the TDP leadership and their affiliated media outlets would have vehemently reacted. Their silence, Sajjala argued, was indicative of the I-T department possessing substantial proof and evidence.
Additionally, Sajjala Reddy pointed out that the I-T department had issued notices on four separate occasions, with Chandrababu Naidu continually seeking delays and extensions to respond, raising suspicions of his involvement in the alleged kickback scheme.
Sajjala Reddy accused Chandrababu Naidu of engaging in rampant corruption under the guise of the Amaravati development project. He refererred to Prime Minister Modi’s criticism of Chandrababu Naidu for turning the Polavaram project into a cash cow, labelling it as one of the most egregious forms of corruption. Sajjala also questioned the sincerity of Chandrababu Naidu’s efforts in constructing the capital city, citing exorbitant costs associated with temporary structures, such as the Assembly and Secretariat buildings, which were priced at Rs 10,000 per square foot.
Furthermore, Sajjala highlighted that the construction of houses for the poor under the TIDCO initiative was also plagued by corruption, with the cost per square foot far exceeding the reasonable estimate.
Responding to the topic of “One Nation, One Election,” Sajjala Reddy acknowledged that the concept had been followed in the early days. However, he pointed out that the dynamics had shifted over time, with regional parties gaining influence as national parties’ influence waned. He emphasized that conducting elections in India, the world’s largest democracy incurred substantial costs.
