Dangerous Levels of Corruption In AP!

● In Andhra Pradesh, the corruption of Chandrababu and Co. knows no limits. In the last four and half years, they have amassed about Rs. 3 lakh crore.

● They have made commissions of Rs. 20,000 crore in irrigation projects alone!

● They have taken control of all the natural resources. Anybody who objected this rapacious conduct were totally silenced.

● In the name of developing a global city, Chandrababu Naidu has been running a massive real estate business.

● In the name of investments, the CM has filled his own coffers.

● To satisfy his desire for propaganda, he has spent hundreds of crores of rupees.

●  Chandrababu has destroyed all the institutions and institutionalised corruption.

● Assembly Became MLAs' Auction Hall

Assembly has become an auction hall for purchases of MLAs. 23 opposition MLAs have defected to the ruling party. You have don't have to have any proofs in incidents of this sort. Speaker can disqualify them. But, the (AP) speaker is undermining the assembly system by protecting the defectors. Four of these defectors today have cabinet positions.

These are not the allegations of any political opponent of Chandrababu Naidu, nor were they made for any political traction. These were the statements of a former Chief Secretary Ajeya Kallam, who has extensive administrative experience and known for his integrity. Being an insider of AP government, he has seen unfettered corruption of Chandrababu Naidu. He has seen the way the selection process of capital city location twisted to suit the real estate interests of the Chief Minister. And he has seen the way Chandrababu has turned every financial transaction of the Government into an opportunity for the bribe.

Ajeya Kallam tried to persuade the CM not to loot the state by writing his objections on the files of the proposals. However, earnest words of this sincere public servant did not move Chandrababu Naidu. Of course, the officials can only give prudent advice to the heads of the governments but cannot go beyond a point. However, they are free to speak their minds once they are out of service. That's why Ajeya Kallam has refused to consider post-retirement positions offered to him by the CM and started creating awareness about the rampant corruption of Chandrababu Naidu.

As part of this, Ajeya Kallam has been touring the state, addressing the public meetings and explaining the kind of legal plunder that is going in the state. He has penned a book titled "Melu Kolupu", which translates into 'the awakening call'. This honest civil servant calls on the youth and intellectuals of the state to question the ongoing exploitation in the state. Here are some of the excerpts from his speeches and interviews.

I am not talking about the present rulers' obnoxious corruption only now. I did my best to prevent the corruption of present rulers even when I was in service. I have written (notes) in the files flaying the embezzlement proposals. They are not satisfied with their loot and are trying to rob the state further by fielding their heirs in the coming elections. If people, especially the youth, don't question them, nobody can save the state. That's why, unable to put up with these horrendous episodes, as a thinking citizen who is concerned about the societal welfare, I am trying my level best to awaken the youth. I have penned "Melu Kolupu" with that specific objective. It is time for the intellectuals and youth to play a key role in safeguarding the systems before the society is fully corrupted by these selfish people.

How Atrocious is This?

In the state, the corruption has spread its tentacles and taken hold of all the systems. We have fallen to the lowest level; nothing gets done without a bribe in Andhra Pradesh. More than 40 percent of funds allocated to irrigation projects are being appropriated. Out of the allocated Rs. 50,000 crore funds for irrigation projects, Rs. 20,000 crore has been swallowed.

There are plenty of examples to assert that the present rulers are robbing off everything except the air. For instance, Rs. 1 crore was released for development of a tank in a village in West Godavari district, a TDP leader who undertook the contract had dug up the topsoil and sold it for Rs. 60 lakh.

The state government has been misusing thousands of crores of rupees of public funds. One- third of Rs. 20,000 crore of employment guarantee scheme funds has been appropriated. The government bigwigs have bought 5 lakh cell phones  at the price of Rs. 7,500 per piece, while that phone is available for Rs. 4,000 in the market. They thus have pocketed Rs. 150 crore. In the guise of IT development, land worth Rs. 400 crore has been gifted to Franklin Templeton for mere Rs. 13 crore.

In Andhra Pradesh, crores of rupees of public funds are being misused in the name of so-called 'struggles'. Struggle against the central government, struggle to develop the state...etc. Have we ever seen governments organising protest events with public money in the last 50 years? When Siva Nadar of HCL wanted to start a company in Tirupati, what was the need to bring him to Amaravati and handover 49-acre land worth Rs. 700 crore and provide Rs. 2,233 crore worth incentives for the span of 12 years?

Is this the Quality of a Building Built at Rs. 11,000 Per Sq. Foot?

The temporary secretariat building which was constructed at a whopping Rs. 11,000 per sq. foot- is leaking even for light rains. This is the proof that the quality of the building is nothing but a sham and the funds were feasted on.

The government has paid Rs. 700 crore to a media organisation in the last four years. The funds that are supposed to be spent on the peoples' welfare are being spent on phony activities such as Dharma Porata Deeksha, Nava Nirmana Deeksha, Pushkarams, foreign trips in special flights and construction of camp offices.

CM Chandrababu Naidu has spent his ill-gotten monies on the assembly elections in Gujarat, Karnataka and Telangana. Everybody should question these unethical activities.

Why Didn't I Question while in Service?

Some of you may wonder why I didn't raise these questions while I was in service. Indeed, I did raise. I have firmly questioned all the proposals of plunder that have come to my table. I have faulted the proposal to involve private companies' consortium of Singapore in the development of the capital city. I have written six paragraphs-long objections (to the proposal) in the file. Not only this, I have questioned every questionable proposal that came to my table. I have written down my questions, suggestions and observations in the files unhesitatingly. However, bureaucrats can only make suggestions to the government. They cannot do anything beyond  a point. In the end, it's the rulers who call the shots.

In our state, all these problems are arising because the agenda of rulers is clashing with the agenda of people.

Real Estate Business in the Name of Capital City

It's truly appalling that the government has been running a real estate business in the name of developing a world-class capital city. The centralisation of power is a flawed approach. The very idea of the large metropolis is irrational. This doesn't help people in any manner and only encourages the real estate business. It is unethical to keep people under the impression that only large cities attract large corporations and making fortunes from the ensuing real estate business.

Rs. 20,000 Crore Irrigation Funds Swallowed

The Chief Minister is taking 6 % commission from the irrigation projects. The Chief Minister, ministers, ruling party leaders and contractors together are appropriating about 40 percent of the allocated funds. According to the state government, Rs. 50,000 crore was spent on irrigation projects, and Rs. 20,000 crore of it has fallen prey to the institutional corruption.

Commissions Without Works

In Andhra Pradesh, all the contracts are being awarded to a few companies, which include Megha Engineering, Navayuga, Rithwik Projects, Transstroy and Progressive Constructions Pvt. Ltd. which belong to TDP leaders such as Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, C.M. Ramesh and Kavuri Sambasiva Rao. These companies do nothing. They just sub-contract the contracts against 8 percent commission.

In Neeru-Chettu Programme, not only the works below Rs. 10 lakh were distributed among the TDP leaders on nomination basis, they also have clubbed two works and gave Rs. 20 lakh worth works on nomination basis. Massive corruption is taking place in Neeru-Chettu works.

Pretending Civil Works

TDP leaders have been claiming bills for digging farm ponds, which they never had. Across the state, 600 people have made Rs. 500 crore each, 50 people made Rs. 100 crore each and another 50 people made more than Rs. 50 crore, in this fashion. If we consider only the 600 people who made Rs. 500 crore each, they alone had made Rs. 3 lakh crore.

Neither Fiber Nor Grid

When the center wanted to undertake the fiber grid project, state had requested the centre that it would take up instead. However, Rs. 400 crore fiber grid project can be seen nowhere today. Neither  there is fiber nor grid. The government is selling the set top boxes at Rs. 4,000 per piece while they are available for Rs. 2,000 in the market.

Public Funds are Being Splurged

In Andhra Pradesh, the corruption knows no limit. When the people question this corruption, the ruling party leaders reply that their party workers should also eat. But, how come anybody who doesn't serve the people and only plunders them can be termed a party worker? The Chief Minister is spending tonnes of money in the name of the protocol; almost 10 times more money than the protocol expenses in the united Andhra Pradesh.

On one hand, they say the state is suffering due to the paucity of funds and on the other, they have been splurging money phony events such as Dharma Porata Deeksha, Nava Nirmana Deeksha, Pushkarams, foreign trips in special flights and construction of camp offices.

From that ill-gotten money, the ruling party spent Rs. 200 crore on Nandhyal by-election. This by- election was recognised as the costliest by-election in the country's history.

While I was studying agriculture during 1970 in Bapatla, I have heard about rain guns under the micro-irrigation methods. We have shown them to our farmers in 1994 during the Israel trip. Now, the rulers are propagating as if they have invented the rain guns and making kickbacks in their purchases. Now, nobody knows where those rain guns are.

Destruction of Governance Systems

It is the duty of the people to question the rulers who are destroying the systems. I have seen the  green revolution during my childhood. Back then, systems have helped the bureaucrats to act autonomously. The present-day developments mirror the decaying values.

While 12 Chief Ministers attended the swearing-in ceremony of Karnataka CM Kumara Swami, how come public money of Rs. 8.75 lakh was spent on AP CM's single day stay in Bangalore? AP CM was costliest among the 12 CMs. Though the monarchies have died out long ago, they are still continuing in the guise of modern democracy.

The state government which is not able to give subsidies, loans and the minimum support price to farmers is happily giving the high-value lands and thousands of crores of rupees incentives to five-star hotels and airline companies.

The government has issued an order on 27-11- 2018 to provide Rs. 18 crore subsidy to IndiGo airlines and Rs. 3 crore were already released. Why are they running flights by giving incentives to airline companies? Is it because the ruling party ministers, MLA and leaders go to Singapore? Or else is it for the Singapore consortium which was given 1,600 acres in the capital city?

Is This Pro-people Governance?

There is a heavy corruption in implementation of weaker sections housing scheme in the state. While the KCR government is paying Rs. 800 per sq. foot, AP government is paying anyway between Rs. 1,900 and Rs. 2,700. Chandrababu has taken corruption to its peaks in destroyed the governance systems.

The government must have the approval of assembly for every paise that it spends. But, how could they spend Rs. 27,000 crore without obtaining any permission, after having a discussion in the House and further conducting voting? The CAG has faulted this malpractice. How could they borrow Rs. 60,000 crore loan in the name of non-budget in a state which has revenue deficit? When the state is in deficit, why don't you control expenditure? Why do you need temporary buildings at the cost of Rs. 60,000 crore? If these buildings were built at Rs. 100 crore, the public funds wouldn't have been looted.

Source: Chandrababu Naidu, Emperor Of Corruption

Also Read: The Corrupt, Ineffective, Untruthful And Undemocratic Rule Of Chandrababu