Minister Ponnam counters Kishan Reddy’s remarks

Congress government had already ordered a judicial probe into the implementation of the Kaleshwaram project, said Ponnam

Hyderabad: Countering State BJP president G Kishan Reddy‘s charges that Congress government was going soft on the past Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government’s alleged irregularities, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Tuesday said the Congress government had already ordered a judicial probe into the implementation of the Kaleshwaram project.

Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy should use his good offices and write a letter to union Law Ministry seeking approval for a sitting High Court judge or Supreme Court judge to conduct the probe. The Congress was committed to a detailed probe, Prabhakar said. The Congress government was formed on December 9 and not even a month had passed by. Kishan Reddy was making these charges to derive political mileage in the ensuing Parliament elections, he said at a press conference here on Tuesday.

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Right from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to local leaders in the State, all the BJP leaders have been charging rampant corruption in the Kaleshwaram project. The BJP has been in power at the Centre for 10 years, they should have initiated action, he said.

Stating that the Congress government was not against a CBI probe as demanded by Kishan Reddy, the Minister reminded that central probe agencies were working as per the instructions of the union government. The CBI had conducted several probes but the reports were not made public, he said.

Praja Palana will not be extended

The Transport Minister announced that the Praja Palana programme, which was closed for two days, had resumed. There would be no scope for extending the last date of January 6 for filing the applications, he said. People could file their applications regarding their eligibility for the six guarantees. Each family has to submit one application and since the government was providing the forms, people should make good use of the opportunity, he said.

No information on hire bus operators strike

The Transport Minister said there was no information on the TSRTC hired bus operators strike. “They did not approach us or give any notice. If they come to us, we will try to address their issues,” Prabhakar said, adding that the State government would hold talks with auto drivers and resolve their issues.

Attacks BRS working president

Finding fault with BRS working president KT Rama Rao for hosting a lunch for GHMC sanitary workers at Telangana Bhavan, the Transport Minister said he was not a Minister anymore. He should have gone to the sanitary workers and distributed any gifts or others at their work places, he said.

“In the past, the BRS government did not permit any workers or officers to meet us. This lunch programme is just a show for press coverage,” Prabhakar said.