HYDERABAD: The BJP on Tuesday demanded a probe by the CBI or a Special Investigation Team into alleged irregularities in the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) over the past 10 years, alleging that the public sector firm had been treated as private property by successive governments.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi, BJP state president N Ramchander Rao alleged that while the previous BRS regime had used SCCL for personal benefit, the present Congress government was following a similar approach. He claimed that Congress ministers were competing to award contracts to their supporters and secure shares for themselves.
Ramchander Rao sought clarity on the cancellation of coal block tenders and questioned what he described as a lack of transparency in the process. He called for a comprehensive investigation into all Singareni-related dealings during the last decade.
Referring to the phone-tapping case, Ramchander Rao accused both the Congress and BRS of indulging in “shadow boxing”. He questioned why, despite the probe continuing for nearly two years, only officials had been arrested while political leaders had not been named. He alleged that phone tapping was carried out to defeat the BJP during the Munugode byelection and demanded that those responsible be identified.
On the role of central agencies, Ramchander Rao said investigations into alleged corruption during the BRS regime had been delayed due to technical reasons. He claimed the previous state government had withdrawn general consent for the CBI, restricting its ability to conduct direct investigations in Telangana.
He added that the Enforcement Directorate did not face similar restrictions and was therefore moving faster in several cases. He alleged that a lack of cooperation from the state government continued to slow down investigations by central agencies.
Expressing confidence about the party’s prospects, Ramchander Rao said that after West Bengal, Telangana would be the next state to have a BJP government. He said development was possible only with what he termed a “double engine government” and appealed to people to support the BJP in the municipal elections.