Date:20/07/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/07/20/stories/2004072005600400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

PJR ridicules Goud's denial

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, JULY 19. The Congress MLA, P. Janardhan Reddy, has expressed surprise at the former Home Minister, T. Devender Goud's denial about the previous TDP Government's decision to acquire 1,367 acres of land at Gopanpalli village of Serilingampally mandal and Vattinagulapalli village of Rajendranagar mandal for the Formula One track.

At a news conference here on Monday, Mr. Reddy took exception to the statement made by Mr. Goud in the Assembly during a debate on the subject that the TDP Government never took such a decision. He produced documents recording minutes of the Cabinet Sub-Committee meeting presided by the former Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, at his residence in December last year wherein it was decided to acquire the land for Rs. 55.60 crores.

Mr. Goud and the former Ministers -- Y. Ramakrishnudu and T. Nageswara Rao -- and a retired IAS officer, P.V. Rao, who was the then Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Infrastructural Development Authority, figured as the sub-committee members in the documents produced by Mr. Reddy. At a separate news conference later, Mr. Goud maintained that he had no knowledge about the deal. Mr. Reddy derided the previous Government for proposing an investment of Rs. 1,192 crores for the F1 project.