India Today reported that the CBI, which has arrested senior IAS officer Ms Y Srilakshmi for allegedly favoring former Karnataka minister Mr G Janardhan Reddy in the iron ore mining scam, seems to have turned a blind eye to the apparent behind the screen role played by political bigwigs and other top officials, both in the state and at the centre.
CBI officials have so far arrested only Ms Srilakshmi and the former director of mines and geology Mr VD Rajagopal.
They questioned only two politicians home minister Ms Sabita Indra Reddy, who was the mines minister when the controversial leases were granted and YSR Congress chief Mr Jagan Reddy, who allegedly threatened the other lease applicants and forced them to withdraw from the competition.
CBI officials went out of their way to give a clean chit to the current home minister. In its counter affidavit filed in court on Thursday opposing Ms Srilakshmi's bail, the CBI said the allegations against the minister were unwarranted. It said “The decisions to issue impugned GOs in favour of OMC were taken at the secretary level. The minister had no role in it.”
The CBI ignored allegations against former Union minister of state for mines Mr T Subbarami Reddy that he had used his influence to get approvals from the mines department for OMC. When MAIL TODAY contacted Subbarami, he laughed it off “It is a joke. I was just a minister of state for mines and no files came to me for approval. It was an ornamental position. So, there is absolutely no truth in the allegations that I had helped OMC get the approvals.”
It also did not question Rajya Sabha member Mr KVP Ramachandra Rao, former adviser (public affairs) to then CM Mr Y.S Rajasekhara Reddy, over charges that the officials had acted under KVP's instructions.
Actually, the provisional grant of mining leases was made to OMC way back in November 2005, through two separate memos for 39.4 hectares at Obulapuram and for 68.5 hectares at Antaragangamma Konda of Siddapuram and Malapanagudi villages. Both memos, with the signatures of Ms Sabita and then secretary of mines and senior IAS officer Mr B Krupanandam, were issued without even sending the proposal to the Centre. But the CBI authorities have questioned Mr Krupanandam twice only as a witness.
(Sourced from indiatoday.intoday.in)
