Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman and TDP MLA, Payyavula Kesav, on Friday came down heavily on the State Government for diverting Rs 900 cr funds raised as loan in the name of Rayalaseema drought relief.
It is a massive scam that the State Government illegally diverted these funds to the accounts of private companies raised as loans for drought relief and for building projects in Rayalaseema, Payyavula told media persons. What Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy, will say about the diversion of these funds without taking up the works for which the loan has been raised, Payyavula asked.
Pointing out that he had already raised the issue on Thursday, the PAC chairman expressed surprise that even after 24 hours there was absolutely no response from the State Government. “How to take this silence and whether it can be understood that the ruling dispensation has quietly accepted the facts,” Payyavula noted.
Though Minister for Irrigation, Ambati Ram Babu, addressed the media this morning but he only kept on criticising the Opposition parties and its leaders, the TDP MLA said, adding that there is no mention about the Rs 900 cr scam. Demanding the Government to come out with facts on how these funds were diverted, Payyavula said that if the ruling party leaders do not respond then the TDP will have to hand over the evidence to the investigating agencies.
“If the ruling party leaders are not responding when the funds to be credited to the exchequer are diverted, it clearly indicates that they are partners in the scam,” the PAC chairman felt. Had these funds been spent properly, all the pending projects in Rayalaseema would have been completed which would have been useful for the people of the region”, he felt.
It is really shameful that the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues are keeping silent when there are no accounts for such a huge amount, he remarked and felt that the irrigation projects in Rayalaseema have become ATMs to Mr Jagan. The directions issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) are completely ignored only to loot the State by thousands of crores, Payyavula said and pointed out that Rs 300 cr is being minted monthly by the sand mafia.
Replying to media persons, Payyavula said that the State Government is now getting ready to resularise the assigned lands only for the benefit of the ruling party leaders but not to the poor. The lands owned by the poor are already grabbed by the YSRCP leaders, Payyavula added.
