VIJAYAWADA: The AP Legislative Assembly Committee of Privileges, which met virtually under the chairmanship of Kakani Goverdhan Reddy on Wednesday, directed State Election Commissioner (SEC) Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar to be available for inquiry on the notices served by Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy to move a privilege motion against the SEC.
Goverdhan Reddy said the notices given by Peddireddy and Municipal Administration Minister Botcha Satyanarayana in the past and another notice served by Peddireddy on February 7 were referred to the committee by Assembly Speaker Tammineni Sitaram.
“The Privileges Committee has decided to take up inquiry on the notices. A letter will be sent to Ramesh Kumar through the Assembly Secretary asking him to be available for inquiry. The date and time of inquiry will be decided soon and it will be intimated to the SEC,’’ he said.The Privileges Committee Chairman said the inquiry will continue even after Ramesh Kumar retires as an SEC on March 31.
The Privileges Committee meeting and its direction to Ramesh Kumar to be available for inquiry comes at a time when the latter is scheduled to avail of leave from March 22 to 24. In their complaints, the ministers said that the SEC made several castigating remarks, which are libellous in nature and far from the truth, in the letter reportedly written to the Governor.