Gulte Telugu news
Former director of the mining department Venkat Reddy implied that all the rules regarding sand mining were violated only with orders from the higher officials, during the YCP rule.
Venkat Reddy was arrested by the ACB sleuths and taken into custody for three days, in connection with the sand mining scam during the YCP rule.
On the first day of his custody on Thursday, during the interrogation by the ACB sleuths, he reportedly said: “There was no chance of rejecting or denying anything. Objecting them was out of question. I acted according to their orders. I acted like a puppet in their hands.”
“I did not have the strength to oppose and hence, acted according to their wish. Even IAS and IPS officers did not have the guts and courage to oppose the authorities during the previous government rule,” he allegedly said.
Venkat Reddy remained silent even when the ACB sleuths posed some crucial questions regarding framing of the sand policy and finalizing the contract to a private organization that supported the powers in the previous government.
He evaded questions on who were the key officials behind the sand mining scam and who passed on the orders to him.
When asked how could he agree to sand mining, sales and supply contract being given to Jayaprakash Power Ventures Limited’s (JPVL) Turn Key Enterprise, in violation of the tender norms and how could he accept the bank guarantees submitted by the Turn Key Enterprise, he told the interrogating officials that they knew everything and had already passed on all information which he has with him.
To the question on why had he not checked the JPVL when they were issuing way bills written by hand rather than issued online, Venkat Reddy said that he was forced to so as he had received orders from his higher officials.
To a query on why were notices not served to the JVPL even when it had not paid the amount to the government for months together, while the rules prescribed that payment should be made every fortnight, he said that he could not muster courage to question who were mining sand, on whose name were bills being issued, who is taking away the sand.
The ACB officials also questioned on how could the sand mining contract be given to a firm which already had dues of Rs 850 crore to the government, he said higher officials speak among themselves and they just call me and direct me to sign on the file. “There will be no dialogue beyond signing on the papers.”
