Apparently unhappy with the report submitted by the CBI-led special investigation team on the alleged adulteration of ghee used in the making of Tirumala laddu, the Chandrababu Naidu cabinet on Tuesday decided to constitute yet another inquiry committee on the same issue.
The SIT report recommended action against concerned officials including former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) additional executive officer A V Dharma Reddy, chief finance officer O Balaji and former executive officer A K Singhal.
But the Naidu government is not happy as it has not mentioned the names of any YSR Congress party leaders including former TTD chairpersons Y V Subba Reddy or Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, nor their followers.
So, the Naidu cabinet decided to constitute a high-level inquiry committee to identify the real culprits behind the adulteration of ghee supplied to the TTD, obviously to see that the committee names the YSRCP leaders.
State finance minister Payyavula Keshav told reporters that the inquiry committee would probe the role of officials and non-officials responsible for the ghee adulteration and examine whether there were any additional administrative lapses, apart from those pointed out by the SIT in its final charge-sheet submitted to the court.
“The government’s approach is not driven by vengeance but by fairness and due process. We shall give all the people concerned an opportunity to present their version before the committee,” he said.
However, Keshav said officials who admitted that the lapses occurred knowingly, including those who signed files again, would be considered partners in the offence, not merely as part of an administrative lapse.
The finance minister said the committee would be set up immediately and it would be asked to submit the report in a short time.