Amid budget criticism, Revanth Reddy turns spotlight on phone tapping, Formula-E

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy indicated possible further arrests in the phone tapping case and said investigations would follow due process. He also spoke on the Formula-E case and hinted at education reforms, including scrapping SSC exams under a new system.

Hyderabad: Even before discussions on the State Budget have subsided, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday sought to shift attention from the budget by making remarks on the phone tapping and Formula-E race cases.

Stating that the investigation was in progress, he said there could be more arrests in the phone tapping case and that the probe would be conducted as per rules. Alleging that former Minister T Harish Rao had not received a clean chit and had secured relief only in a private case, the Chief Minister said there would not be any relief in the SIT probe.

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On the Formula-E race case, he said arrests could not be made without a proper investigation. Referring to action taken in the case, he stated that the Central government had recently accorded approval, following which senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar was placed under suspension.

Triggering concern over the conduct of SSC examinations in the State as well, Revanth Reddy said the government was examining adoption of the Central government’s education policy along with certain reforms. He said the plus two system was being followed at the national level and, after analysis, a nursery to Class 12 structure would be introduced from the next academic year. He indicated that SSC examinations would not be conducted under the proposed system, stating this during an informal interaction with media persons here on Friday.

Responding to criticism over the alleged failure to implement the six guarantees, the Chief Minister said there were plans for implementation of each promise. “We will not deceive any section,” he said. On former Minister T Jeevan Reddy’s reported plans to quit the Congress, he said TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud and AICC in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan were handling the matter.