The Hindu : ... And defends them in public

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 12, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

... And defends them in public

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD Sept. 11. The Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, made a spirited defence of his Cabinet colleagues facing charges of committing irregularities in the Food-for-work programme, saying they are mere allegations by Opposition parties.

Asserting that he would not compromise with corruption, he said he could not take action every time the Opposition levelled allegations. "In what way are the four Ministers involved in diversion of rice? But, let me make it clear that I will not support anyone whose involvement is proved,'' he added.

Addressing a press conference after a Cabinet meeting here on Wednesday, the Chief Minister held that his defence of the Ministers was not an attempt to deny the Congress the credit for their possible ouster but an affirmation that he was unconvinced by its charges. This did not mean he was giving a clean chit to all Ministers or saying that anyone was corrupt. All he was saying was that he would act firmly when there was corruption.

Asked whether he would leave the question of resignation to the conscience of Ministers who were corrupt, Mr. Naidu this issue did not arise. "If such an issue arises, they will have to assume responsibility,'' he added.

Mr. Chandrababu Naidu took the stand that it was the followers of the Energy Minister, K. Subbarayudu, and other Ministers who were charged with diversion of rice meant for the Food-for-work programme. There were never any allegations against the Ministers themselves as was the case of Congress leaders like S. Jaipal Reddy and Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

The Chief Minister, however, admitted there was a gross discrepancy between the reports of the West Godavari District Collector and the Deputy Superintendent of Police about the nature of consignment seized at Palacole involving the followers of Mr. Subbarayudu. While the DSP said the lorry was carrying paddy, the Collector reported on the basis of inquiries made by the RDO that the consignment was rice.

Mr. Naidu indicated that the last word on the Palacole rice diversion scam was yet to be said since inquiries were still to be completed.

He had asked an IAS officer, Ramakrishna, to make a thorough probe into the matter, he said.

Fielding a volley of questions whether he had brought pressure on Pocharam Srinivas Reddy to resign as Minister for Panchayat Raj, he said the latter had himself owned moral responsibility for the stationery scam in his department. He declined to discuss the alleged involvement of Mr. Reddy's son-in-law in the scam.

The Chief Minister sought to make a fine distinction between Mr. Srinivas Reddy's case and that of other Ministers tainted by the rice scam as there was no way the latter could be involved. The Food-for-work programme had been implemented very well in spite of the massive task of completing 5.40 lakh works within a specific time frame so as to fully utilise the 31.50 lakh tonnes of rice allotted by the Centre.

It was the Vigilance Department, and not any political party or the media, which had exposed instances of corruption or sub-standard work, he added.

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