Prosecute GMR and its cohorts

The recently published `CAG’ report confirmed, despite that the government claims of transparency, it had pushed to the wall with no ammunition to defend itself. It is an irony, that reeling under the impact of several scams the dispensation leading by Dr. Manmohan Singh is vitiated the sanctity of the highest office in our country.  The role of the `PMO’ in the coal block allocation is became the `mother of all scams’.

It is equally important that the infrastructure development projects muted through public private partnership (PPP) mode is also mired in similar controversy. There is no level playing field and transparency either in these agreements or the execution of these projects. The malpractices carried out by the private developer- the GMR owned DIAL – in the name of developing the Delhi airport has also the blessing of our Prime Minister with his passive attitude. The `PMO’, the Civil Aviation Ministry, and the Delhi International Air Port Ltd. (DIAL) have actively colluded with the developer (GMR) to amass an amazing quantum of wealth through numerable conspiracies.

The Controller and Auditor General has criticized development fee charged on passengers at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Allowing development fee of Rs 200 for domestic and Rs 1300 for international passenger gave `GMR’ an undue monetary benefit of Rs 3,415 crore. This levy has violated the bid conditions and it shows certain recklessness to follow the original contract.

Whenever the operator has raised an issue of extra revenue, to go to it or expenditure to be debited to government, the Ministry and Airport Authority of India had always ruled in favour of the GMR Corporation, and against the government interest, in contravention of the Operation, Maintenance, and Development Agreement (OMDA).  The Report further says that, DIAL has the potential to earn Rs 1,63,557 crore over a 60 year period of time. The 2,799 acres of land leased out to GMR at Rs 100 a year has just stood out an equity investment of Rs 2,450 crore. Five percent of this land or 239.5 acres, allowed for commercial use, has current value of Rs 24,000 crore. This too was given to GMR as part of 4799 acres for lease of Rs 100 per annum.

The `CAG’ points out that the joint venture company, shall meet all its financial requirements through suitable debt and equity contributions to comply with its obligations, including the development of the airport. The Ministry’s order on February 9, 2009, to allowing the GMR to levy a development fee for financing the upgrade, expansion or development of the airport is sheer violation of the original agreement. This order violated the provisions of Article 13.1 of the OMDA, the AAI Act and the Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) Act, later confirmed by the Delhi High Court.

The levy of development fee was a post contractual benefit given to the `GMR’, to bridging the funding gap was neither envisaged in the request for the proposal (RFP) nor included in the provisions of OMDA or the state support agreement. This led to an undue benefit of Rs 3,415 crore to the DIAL at the cost of passengers.

Another  hilarious fact is that, beyond all these government largesse’s Delhi Airport is remaining with the most expensive and prohibitive airports in the world. The Airport charges are now increasing to a level of 334 % for domestic carriers in one year, is magically higher to 700 per cent. High airport charges are a serious problem that will ultimately increase the passenger’s burden. The thing is that, the spiraling charges in Delhi Airport had been most critical, and a result of these more foreign airlines is postponing increasing their capacity in India. Another funny thing is that in Delhi Airport the airlines are not only paying for departing flights but also for arrivals. There is no airport in the world that does this practice.

All these points raised by the CAG, and other facts are pointing the loot carried out by the GMR Corporation. The PMO and the Civil Aviation Ministry are equally responsible for this daylight looting. There is an urgent need to revisit the way PPP projects were allotted in the country.

The aviation industry in our country has suffered, a lot from the callous attitude of former Aviation Minister Mr. Praful Patel. The cumbersome ideas carried out on the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines have paved the way for the disastrous performance of our national carrier. These puerile changes have gone to shepherding the carrier to the mean streets of economic peril, and faces uncertain times ahead. The cancellation of profitable routs for the benefit of private carriers has reaped immense gains for the civil aviation authorities, and the minister himself. The very happening in this industry need an urgent course correction with thorough professionalism.

The Congress Secular Hindu Forum has demanding the government of India, to strike a note of realism, and must be take all steps immediately to take back the money illegally collected by the GMR, and recover the huge wealth handed over the DIAL through illegal methods. To stop the ongoing collection of user development fee with immediate effect and prosecute the persons responsible for the loss to the exchequer through a thorough probe by the CBI.

K. Ravi Kumar,

General Secretary – Central Committee

 

This is not a survey report with facts

It is sheer manipulation!

Dt. 31-8-2012

A recently broadcasted `NDTV’  survey report on the popularity chart of Y S R Congress, and its sole leader Mr. Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy is a sheer manipulation of public opinion, that had severely breached the basic norms and ethics of media coverage. This is nothing more than a desperate attempt from the YSR Congress to drum up its tainted and sagging image through a paid up coverage with dressed up facts.

After making a hue and cry against his arrest, he who invented many an innovative methods to loot public money, has now cooling his heels, at the tranquil solitude of the special class accommodation, by virtue of his `VIP’ status. He and his cohorts are still in the belief that `we have done what we thought was correct’ and they have the privilege of immunity from every system, that have safeguarding the basic tenets of our country.

Everyone in our country now knows that the news channels in our country were competing each other to drum up their TV ratings with coloured version of every event. It is agonizing to see that these media houses are putting their words in our mouth with extreme conclusions and assumptions.

We are aware, that the much celebrated news channel `NDTV’ and its business are facing an uncertain future. Its TV ratings are plummenting and financial performance taking a beating. They were compelled to go through such a gimmick, to extract financial favours from Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy, to declaring him as the future Chief Minister.

A consulting agreement has already existing with Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy’s `Sakshi’ group and NDTV news channel. There is allegations that the `Sakshi’ group has paid a sum of Rs 30 crore to NDTV for its surveys and findings, that falsely elevated the YSRCP and its tainted leader to the number one slot.

Surprisingly NDTV (New Delhi-TV) is currently fighting a bitter legal battle in New York Supreme Court, against global marketing giant WPP and its associate companies. These firms had exposed the manipulative tactics and the current state of affairs, this news channel is facing.

The Congress Secular Hindu Forum - Central Committee has severely concerned about these state of affairs in our media houses. The creeping corruption and cronyism has created an annoying situation, that was severely affected the credibility of our news channels.

The Congress Secular Hindu Forum - Central Committee is requesting to the `Editors Guild of India and the News Broadcasters Association of India’, take urgent steps to control the erring news channels. It is very important to safeguard our public opinion and polity from such unscrupulous opinion makers by accepting huge moolahs and misleading the public with fabricated reports, through their cynical findings with modicum truth. This propaganda gimmicks have not serving any real political or social cause. “Freedom of Expression, like all other freedom, is also has the need of reasonable restrictions.”

K. Ravi Kumar,

General Secretary-Central Committee

Don’t try to defend the Indefensible

Congress Secular Hindu Forum Central  Committee demanding the immediate resignation of 
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh

Hyderabad,

26-8-2012

There are crimes, and there are mistakes. There is criminal conspiracy and there is political mismanagement, but no matter who points it out, there is always a political price to pay for poor governance.

The flaw in the strategy pursued by different governments since 1993, has not an excuse for the current fiasco in the coal block allotment policy. In a most immediate sense, it is human negligence abetted by accountability. However, in a more general sense, we might say  that the event reveals that more than anything else, the devious intent that led to a revenue loss resulted from a criminal conspiracy, led to huge private gain for big corporate players.

Auction to allocate natural resources, as is being suggested by various quarters, is not watertight. It is a different matter that Dr. Manmohan Singh and his cabinet colleagues have shown themselves, to be poor custodians of public funds. They are not ready to learn anything from their antics. In adopting to a position that the coal is still in “mother earth”, so where the question of loss is ridiculous, that pointing to the callous attitude of our politicians approach to important policy matters.  These unscrupulous elements and their nebulous approach to major policy decisions have creating imponderable nemesis for their own existence. The absence of criminal intent is not applicable to any public servant, who is responsible for causing huge damage and loss to the existing system and exchequer. They are held to be jointly or individually for their folly, no demagogy is to become a cloak. This would have disastrous consequences for decision making at the highest levels. 

The setback arising from the ‘Coalgate’ is became another glaring example, that the present central government and its Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, is heading the most corrupt government in independent India. They have virtually lost the moral ground to continue in power. Whether or not the government was right in allocating the coal blocks, the way it did. The blame of the loss incurred rests on Dr Singh, because of his whimsical attitude that allowed a freehand for the exploitation for the corporate greed. The state has been defrauded a huge sum through dubious methods.

The Congress Secular Hindu Form has a strong opinion that the Prime Minister had totally aware of the malpractices carried out in his very own ministry. He can’t abdicate from his responsibilities on bereft of ideas. The criminal conspiracy from the part of the government, to help the corporate was vindicated by the CAG report. Though the present situation thoroughly highlighting the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. We strongly demanding a full-fledged investigation to fix the responsibility and prosecute the guilty, however high and mighty they are.

Our Central Committee has also demanding the immediate cancellation of all the coal block allotments to private corporate companies, that would ultimately cost the government coffers a loss of Rs 1.86 lakh crore, according to the CAG calculations. This scandal and loot of natural resources is a result of the government’s effort to privatise the coal industry, through the backdoor, after it failed to change the coal nationalisation law.

K Ravi Kumar,

General Secretary - Central Committee

Get rid of the erring AP Ministers

       Expose `God Fathers’ to corrupt ministers in Congress High Command

Open letter to Hon’ble Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi

Hyderabad,

Dt 20-8-2012

Respected Madam Smt. Soniaji,

We are extremely disturbed with the state of affairs of Congress party and its government in Andhra Pradesh, which has been providing crucial strength at the Center enabling continuance of Congress-led UPA government since more than eight years. The party became silent spectator when several ministers are getting caught on the wrong side of the law and the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who is expected to take urgent steps to protect interests of the party, remains nonchalant.

On the one hand the sins of the past are coming to haunt many of his Cabinet colleagues while on the other some more members are causing fresh trouble and landing the government in an embarrassing position.

While one minister, Mopidevi Venkata Ramana Rao, had already been arrested (in the disproportionate assets case related to Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy) and forced to quit the Cabinet, another minister for roads and buildings Dharmana Prasada Rao is also charge sheeted in the same case.

The CBI’s 177-page charge sheet, citing around 280 documents besides statements of witnesses, confined to the irregularities in the implementation of the multi-thousand crore Vadrevu and Nizampatnam Ports & Industrial Corridor (VANPIC), a proposed world-class port and an integrated industrial cluster, in Prakasam and Guntur districts. The Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy government had allotted more than 25,000 acres in 2008 for the project. While Mopidevi Venkata Ramana Rao was the minister for infrastructure and ports, Dharmana Prasada Rao was holding the portfolio of revenue during the YSR cabinet.

In its latest charge sheet, the CBI charged Dharmana Prasada Rao and the officials with signing the controversial government order pertaining to allotment of land and giving other sops to the VANPIC project, which was executed by noted industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad of Matrix Enport Holdings Private Limited in association with Ras Al Khaimah, one of the emirates in the UAE.

As a quid pro quo gesture for granting the project, Nimmagadda Prasad made huge investment of Rs.842 crore in various companies of Jagan Mohan Reddy, including Rs.450 crore in Jagathi Publications, the media venture that brings out Sakshi daily, Rs.252 crore in Bharati Cements, Rs.32 crore in Sandur Power Company Limited, Rs.20 crore in Carmel Asia Holdings Ltd and Rs.28 crore in Silicon Builders.

The minister is now facing several charges under IPC, including criminal conspiracy (120-B), criminal breach of trust by a public servant (409), cheating (419 and 420), forgery for the purpose of cheating (468), using as genuine a forged document which is known to be forged (471), falsification of accounts (477A), and under sections 9,11,13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Besides, this case being investigated by the CBI, there are several allegations of corrupt practices adopted by DharmanaPrasada Rao and his family members involving large scale irregularities valued several hundreds of crores of rupees, to gain huge properties for himself and his family members.

Four more ministers – J Geeta Reddy, P Sabita Reddy, Ponnala Lakshmaiah and Kanna Lakshminarayana – are sitting with their fingers crossed, anxiously awaiting the outcome of the CBI probe in Jaganmohan Reddy's case as well as the iron ore illegal mining case (against mining mafia kingpin Gali Janardhan Reddy). These four ministers are under the CBI scanner in these cases and there is apprehension that they too may meet the same fate as their other two colleagues.

The Supreme Court issued notices in March, 2012, to all these six Ministers, besides 8 senior IAS officers from Andhra Pradesh on a petition alleging that the CBI was not proceeding against them despite having sufficient evidence that they helped Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy accumulate massive illegal assets.  A Bench comprising Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Dipak Misra issued the notices and sought their stands on the petition filed by an advocate hailing from Nellore district, who alleged that 26 Government Orders were issued by them in violation of the law. All of whom held important portfolios even in the erstwhile Cabinet of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy when the controversial orders were issued.

We are unable to understand that why Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy keeping silence even after 10 days of resignation submitted by Dharmana Prasada Rao (on August 14). It may be recalled that all these ministers have been facing probe for their alleged corrupt practices. None of them are now facing trouble by working to strengthen the party and government in the state, or struggling hard to the welfare of the people.

All of them are known colluding with those who attempted to loot the public money for their vested interests. In the process they were allegedly earned hundreds of crores of rupees worth illegal properties. This has been bringing dis-reputation to the Congress party and resulting in weakening of the party in Andhra Pradesh. The only way to restore confidence of the people towards the party and its government is by acting firmly against all those who were involved in various illegal activities and removing them from the cabinet.

To hide themselves from criminal investigation and prosecution, we are surprised to note that these ministers are putting forward constitutional provision under Article 163, claiming that the CBI had 'no locus standi' to book ministers for what they called 'collective cabinet decisions'. Very recently, at least two senior ministers openly admitted that the points figured in the agenda that approved by the cabinet during Y S Rajasekhara Reddy regime were entirely different from the GOs issued later by the government.However, CBI alleging that the decisions taken by those ministers while in office with criminal conspiracy, some times crossing the limitations of cabinet decisions.

The former minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramna Rao, who lost his post after being arrested by the CBI, as a minister had signed the file giving effect to the alienation of land to the Vanpic project. He is now facing charges under Sections 120-B, 420, 209, 427-A of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Not counting the allegations earlier he warded off in the liquor syndicate scam.

Besides these ministers involved in disproportionate assets case against Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, several other ministers were also involved on wrong side of the law.

The secondary education minister K Parthasarathy has been convicted and awarded a two-month jail term in a FERA violation case (though the sentence has since been kept under suspension by the upper court). The same minister is now facing a case under the Representation of People Act for filing a false affidavit during his election in 2004 and 2009.

The Special Court for Economic Offences in Hyderabad found the Minister, guilty in a case relating to violation of Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) provisions. The special court also imposed a fine of Rs five lakh on a city-based firm KPR Tele Products Ltd, of which Parthasarathy was managing director, and also directed him to pay a fine of Rs 20,000 after finding him guilty of non-payment of penalty imposed by Enforcement Directorate (ED) and for violation of FERA provisions.

Besides this conviction, the minister facing another grave violation of the law for concealing the fact that a FERA violation case was pending against him since 1999, when he was managing director of KPR Tele Products, while contesting elections in 2004 and 2009. The Election Commission directed the Krishna district Collector and Election Officer to register a case against him for filing an "inaccurate affidavit" during the 2009 Assembly elections concealing the fact that he was charge sheeted in a FERA violation case.

In his 2004 affidavit, where he was supposed to list the criminal case which was pending at the time, he left the relevant form blank, while in 2009, he wrote 'nil' and 'not applicable' in the relevant column, sources said.

The Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy has already been questioned by the CBI about the mining leases granted to Gali Janardhan Reddy, when she was the mines minister during the regime of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. While the then mining secretary Y Srilakshmi has taken the rap for giving those leases, criticism continues to be levelled against Sabita because it all happened under her watch.

That’s not all against Sabita Reddy. She also faces allegations from former minister P Shankar Rao that her supporters attacked him on December 20, 2011 when he visited a colony in Maheshwaram mandal, represented by her in the Assembly. Shankar Rao described her as a “lady don” and said she took bribes to give postings in her department.

The minor irrigation minister T G Venkatesh landed in a controversy for saying that non-performing bureaucrats should be shot dead. A retired IAS officer has filed a criminal case against Venkatesh for making “inflammatory and provocative” statements. The complaint filed with the Medchal police says the minister’s statement attract criminal liability under Sections 189 and 124 A, read with Sections 107, 115, 503 and 511 of Indian Penal Code.

The labour minister Danam Nagender courted controversy by locking up the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Banjara Hills of Hyderabad and abusing policemen on August 8. He faces criminal charges under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 342 (wrongful restraint), 353 (preventing public servant from discharging duties), 427 (mischief causing damage), 504 (intentionally insulting to breach peace) and 506 (criminalintimidation) of the IPC.

The Tourism Minister Vatti Vasanth Kumar got into a crap over protocol issues with Denduluru MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakara Rao of the TDP during a Rachchabanda show in November, last year. The TDP MLA allegedly punched the minister in the stomach and received a tight slap in exchange. They went on to push and shove each as the public watched. Based on a complaint form the TDP MLA, a case was booked against the minister under sections 323 and 506 of the IPC. The minister too had a complaint filed against the MLA.

The law minister Erasu Prathap Reddy name was figured in the cash-for-bail episode involving a lower court judge. Accused judge K. Lakshmnarasimha Rao, arrested in the cash-for-bail case, has sent a petition to the Chief Justices of the Supreme Court and the High Court, the AP Human Rights Commission and others stating that he had been abused and manhandled by ACB officials at the time of his arrest. He also said that law minister Erasu Pratap Reddy was not being probed by the ACB in the case despite evidence against him. The AP High Court admitted his plea.

The PCC President and Transport Minister Botsa Satyanarayana faces allegations in connection with the liquor syndicate scam. The revenue Minister N Raghuveera Reddy fended off allegations of misuse of public money for cloud-seeding.

Honourable Congress President Smt. Soniaji, these incidents reveals that how cabinet ministers in Andhra Pradesh have been locked in reckless corrupt practices damaging party interests. There are widespread notions in the political circles here that these corrupt ministers have succeeded in cultivating God Fathers in the Congress high-command by bribing them half of their illegally secured wealth, so that getting a shield of protection to continue in the seat of power.

The presence of such ministers who were caught on wrong side amounts to challenge the very basic ideology and policies of the Congress Party. We felt Congress party should not allow them to continue in power till they get rid of all allegations from the Court of Law. We request you to act immediately in this regard and take necessary action so that to protect the party interests in Andhra Pradesh, which would helpful to save the very existence of the Congress-led UPA government at the center.

With warm regards,

K Ravi Kumar,

General Secretary-Central Committee

Manmohan should go, make Pranab Mukherjee as Prime Minister

Open Letter to  Hon’ble Congress President Smt. Soniaji

Hyderabad,

Dt 23-6-2011

To

Smt Sonia Gandhi,

Hon’ble President,

All India Congress Committee,

New Delhi,

Smt Soniaji,

Sadar Namaskar,

We came to know through news paper reports that the Union Cabinet is likely to be reshuffled on July 1^st week and attempts are going on to remove several ministers from the cabinet and to bring many new faces.

However, Congress Secular Hindu Forum (CSHF) wish to reiterate its demand that mere cosmetic changes in the cabinet will not benefit the Congress party to improve its image among the people of the country. We wish to remind you of our letter sent to you in the month of January, this year, demanding the immediate removal of Dr Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister of the country.

CSHF is convinced that further continuance of Dr Manmohan Singh in the office is disastrous to the people of the country, particularly to the interests of the Congress party. His policies are only encouraging the corporate companies to loot the resources of the country, ignoring the well-being of the vast majority of the middle-class and poor people of the country.

Dr Manmohan Singh’s regime has deviated from the path of `Democratic Socialism’, followed by our stalwarts like Sri Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sri Lal Bahadur Sashtri, Smt. Indira Gandhi and Sri P V Narasimha Rao and he has been adopting `Corporate Socialism’.  Under the garb of economic reforms, he has been benefiting the corporate sector to the tune of lakhs of crore of rupees in the name of various reliefs and handing over scarce national resources to them.

This has led the country into major financial crisis pushing a vast number of people into worst poverty putting halt to employment opportunities. The sectors like rural development, agriculture and small scale industries, which are the backbone of the Indian Economy, are now in disastrous conditions.

So, CSHF demand the Congress High Command to remove Dr Manmohan Singh immediately and bring Sri Pranab Mukhrjee as Prime Minister of the country. We are of the firm view that only Sri Pranab Mukherjee  can save the country from the present mess; providing a clean and able administration. He can only save the Congress party from the tirade of corruption charges.

CSHF also demand the Congress high command to remove ministers like Sri P Chidambaram, Sri S Jaipal Reddy and Sri Vilasarao Deshmukh, who have been facing severe corrupt charges. We also demand to remove ministers like Sri  K.H Muniyappa and Smt Panabaka Lakshmi, who have swindled hundreds of crores of rupees of public money by resorting to unabated corrupt practices. We demand to conduct CBI probe against them on these allegations.

CSHF is disturbed that the official residence of the union minister of state for home Sri Mullapalli Ramachandran in New Delhi has been giving shelter to people involved in anti-national activities like economic offences and criminal activities. We request you to check such practices to keep up the image of the Congress party and avoid any embarrassment for the party in future.

CSHF has learnt that Union Minister for S T Welfare Sri Kantilal Bhuria is also resorting to corrupt practices in his department by awarding nominated posts and other appointments for a price. We also have evidence that he has been recommending to the party to nominate some people, who are nothing to do with the Congress party, as office bearers of party’s S T Cell. So, we seek his removal also from the cabinet.

CSHF is disturbed with the news reports appeared in Telugu media that the party high command assured Praja Rajyam Party chief Sri Chiranjeevi to provide a place in the union cabinet, as gratitude of his party’s merger with the Congress party. It is shameful for the 125-year old party to keep hopes on such an opportunist leader, who had merged his party only after losing political ground in the state and also finding it difficult to contain his party legislators with him.

After appointing Sri Botsa Satyanarayana as APCC President from Kapu community, CSHF fears that again giving representation to the same community (Sri Chiranjeevi) into the union cabinet, as already Sri Pallam Raju from that community is in the cabinet, will spread mis-apprehensions among the people of the state that Congress party is showing over anxiety towards Kapu community only, ignoring the claims of other potential communities. Such a feeling is likely to push the party away from the good looks of other communities in the state, who have been traditionally siding with the Congress party during all the odd periods also. CSHF cautions the party high command to restrain from its attempts of bringing  Sri Chiranjeevi into the union cabinet.

Remove Sri Digvijay Singh

CSHF is worried over anti-Hindu postures of AICC General Secretary Sri Digvijay Singh. With his frequent anti-Hindu statements he has been putting the party leadership in defensive creating enmity with the Hindu population. His utterances against civil society activists like Sri Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev were uncalled for, which have helped only to create ill-feelings about the party among the people.

We feel sorry that Sri Digvijay Singh is using the name of Sri Rahul Gandhi also for his controversial statements. We are of the view his statements are only helping to weaken the party in the eyes of the people. To safeguard the interest and image of the party, CSHF demands you to immediately remove Sri Digvijay Singh from all party posts like Congress Working Committee and also as AICC General Secretary.

CSHF request for immediate response from the party high-command on our serious concerns expressed here, only to save the Country and also the Congress party from becoming weak day by day and keep the confidence of the people towards the party.

Jai Hind

With warm regards,

Sincerely Yours,

K Ravi Kumar,

General Secretary – Central Committee