VIJAYAWADA: In what could be termed a major blow to the Telugu Desam Party, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday constituted a Cabinet sub-committee to review all major policies, programmes, projects, administrative decisions and actions and all government-financed institutions established since bifurcation of the State on June 2, 2014 that have “contributed to pushing a wide cross section of people into distress and bequeathed the current government with empty coffers, mountain of debt and seriously damaged public financial system.”
In short, it means the previous Chandrababu Naidu government’s actions in the last five years will be scrutinised in toto.
The Cabinet sub-committee will have Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy, Panchayat Raj Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, Agriculture Minister K Kanna Babu, Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Anil Kumar, and IT Minister M Gautam Reddy as its members.
Rajya Sabha members V Vijayasai Reddy, V Prabhakar Reddy and Mithun Reddy will attend the panel meetings as special invitees to deal with matters concerning the Central government.
Special Chief Secretary and Chief Commissioner of Land Revenue Dr Manmohan Singh will offer secretarial and logistic support to the sub-committee. The Chief Minister announced the constitution of the sub-committee during the review on power sector held at his camp office.
Stating that change is impossible without tackling corruption, he said the sub-committee would probe around 30 issues and be supported by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), CID and the Vigilance and Enforcement Department. In the orders issued later in the evening, the government said the sub-committee will identify the person/persons/institutions responsible for prima facie mala fide decisions and actions and recommend appropriate action.
Based on its recommendations, the government will take action to remedy the damage done, if any. The panel will evolve its own procedure to complete its task within six weeks. It will have its own
Secretariat complete with staff of impeccable integrity, impartiality and competence with immediate effect.
‘Capital reeks of corruption’
Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister Botcha Satyanarayana, after the first review meeting by the Chief Minister with APCRDA officials on Wednesday, alleged that everything in the capital reeks of corruption and said an in-depth examination of all land deals is in the offing.
All ministries, departments and government undertakings, as well as parastatal entities, have been directed to provide the panel with any information sought by it. The ACB, CID and V&E Department will deploy a senior official of the rank of an SP supported by a team of professionals to provide effective support to the panel.
The government move has sent ripples across the political spectrum, especially the TDP. However, not a single leader of the party, which is already grappling with defections, commented on it. Lest it be seen as vindictive, the State government clarified that the purpose of the entire exercise was to usher in transparent, corruption-free, people-centric, development-driven inclusive governance at all levels and launch the State on an accelerated development path by “learning from the omissions and commissions of the post-bifurcation administration.”
Going by the terms of reference, it appears that Amaravati, alleged data theft by IT Grids, Polavaram project would be on the top of the agenda of the sub-committee.
It also seems that the role played by former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, his son and former IT minister Nara Lokesh, and former water resources minister Devineni Uma could be under close scrutiny.
As far as officials are concerned, informed sources told TNIE that a senior IAS officer, who used to be referred to as the ‘super CM’ during the TDP regime, may be under the pump too.