Hyderabad : CBI custody of the YSR Congress chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy in the assets case is concluding on Thursday. Jagan was brought from the Chanchalguda jail to the CBI office in Kothi amid tight security in the bulletproof Scorpio vehicle assigned to him from the second day.IT Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah who was earlier minister for Major Irrigation and senior IAS officer Adityanath Das, who was earlier secretary of the department, have also been summoned to the CBI office to probe into allocation of water from river Krishna illegally to India Cements. It is the allegation of the CBI that Ponnala has done this, to facilitate Jagan’s companies get investments from India Cements.As Ponnala is also clubbed with Jagan, it is believed that the focus would be on investments into Bharati Cements.
Congress senior leader and MLC Bhanu Prasad has admitted that rules were violated in the allocation of Krishna water to India Cements. He said water was allocated in violation of the Bachawat Tribunal award on interstate apportionment of Krishna waters. Bhanu Prasad has also admitted that the then irrigation minister has referred the matter of allocation to the minor irrigation department for clearance instead of referring it to the major irrigation department. He said this could be construed as an act to get approval from a more lenient department and might be treated as clear violation. India cements which was allocated 10 lakh gallons, has invested Rs. 40 cr. in Jagati Publications and Rs. 100 cr. in other companies of Jagan.CBI’s charge is that these investments were in return for the additional water allocated under a quid pro quo understanding. India Cements which was permitted to use only 3 lakh gallons per day earlier, was sanctioned 10 lakh gallons in 2008. Of the 26 GOs faulted by the Supreme Court, two pertain to the water allocation to India cements.
As CBI has initially called Mopidevi for questioning and then arrested him, it is now being discussed in political circles that Ponnala also might be arrested.Speaking to the media before leaving for CBI office from his Ministers Quarters residence, Ponnala has said that he would answer all the questions in earnestness. When asked if he would be arrested, he has parried the question by stating that he had respect for courts and abide by their decisions.
