Anti-corruption officials have apprehended Venkata Reddy, the ex-Director of the Mines Department, at his Hyderabad home. Reddy is accused of misusing his position during the YSRCP government’s tenure to allocate sand, mines, and mineral resources to party leaders.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) uncovered a staggering 2,566 crore rupee fraud linked to the sand mining policy under Jagan’s administration. Venkata Reddy allegedly played a key role in this scheme, collaborating with sand mining companies like JPVL, GCKC, and Pratima Corporation. Evidence suggests Reddy helped these companies evade government dues and submit false affidavits to the National Green Tribunal. The Supreme Court later ruled against these actions.
Reddy, a former senior Indian Coast Guard officer, joined the AP government in 2019. He quickly rose to become Mines Department Director and APMDC Managing Director in 2020. In these roles, he allegedly aided YSRCP leaders in exploiting natural resources.
After taking charge, Venkata Reddy introduced policies favoring private companies with close ties to YSRCP leaders. This led to widespread irregularities, including illegal excavation beyond permitted areas and depths, mining without proper environmental clearances, use of unauthorized waybills for false reporting, and failure to collect payments from mining companies.
The ACB found that JPVL, GCKC, and Pratima Infra illegally mined sand worth over 921 crore rupees. Reddy’s actions reportedly facilitated this massive loss to the state. He is accused of introducing an online lease allocation system that favored YSRCP-linked applicants, privatizing seinage collections to benefit party-affiliated organizations, and transferring uncooperative officials to remote postings.
The ACB has named Venkata Reddy as the primary accused (A-1) in the case. Other key figures from the involved mining companies are also facing charges. The investigation continues to uncover the full extent of this alleged criminal conspiracy.
-Sanyogita-
