Skill Development Project Scam: AP CID Officials Confront Naidu with File Notings

Vijayawada: Telugu Desam Party chief and former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu has denied any wrongdoing when he was interrogated by the Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (AP CID) with a list of 20 questions in a a Rs 371-crore scam in the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC).

The case pertains to a Rs. Rs 3,356 crore deal the then TDP-led government and the APSSDC struck with a German firm Siemens. As per the signed pact with a German firm Siemens was required to invest Rs 371 crore in the project. However, the former TDP government transferred the amount to Design Tech despite the firm having zero investment into the project. Later, this amount was diverted to Chandrababu Naidu and other TDP leaders through shell companies. 

Sakshi has learnt that the TDP leader is not giving proper answers to the questions asked by the investigators despite being confronted with the evidence of diversion of public funds under his regime. The AP CID officials asked 20 pertinent questions to the TDP chief pertaining to irregularities in the skill development scam. Instead of replying to the queries, Naidu is learnt to have told the officers that he has over 40 years of experience in politics and knows how to deal with the police. 

The list of questions prepared by the CID officials mostly covers diversion of public funds through various shell companies and hawala transactions. During questioning, the TDP leader was shown file notings related to the skill development project scam. The facial expressions of Naidu suddenly changed when he was confronted with the file notings recorded during his term as a chief minister of the state between 2014 and 2019.

What is in the file notings? 

Chandrababu Naidu served as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh from 2014 to 2019. On September 8, 2015, the Finance department received a file from the Chief Minister’s Office. Subsequently, the then Chief Secretary called the section officer the Finance department. 

The file noting (file noting is a written record of the actions taken on a government file) on the file of the Finance department noted that the Chief Secretary told the concerned section officer he had a meeting with the chief minister Chandrababu naidu on September 5, 2015. The file noting also contained the Minutes of Meeting (MoM). In his file noting, the Finance Secretary noted that the Chief Secretary had told him the Chief Minister had entered into an agreement with a German company Siemens on August 31, 2015 pertaining to setting up of 17 skill development centres virtually across the state. 

The file noting further contained that the Chief Secretary had said that the Chief Minister had ordered him to release the funds (Rs 371 crore) immediately. It also mentioned that the Chief Minister said that the government will soon sign an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the company. 

On August 5, 2016, the then Chief Secretary himself wrote some comments in the file sent by the Principal Secretary of Finance department. The file noting states : 

“According to para number 27, the then Chief Minister N Chandrabnabu Naidu said a BRO ( Budget Release Order - document issued by the government to authorise the release of funds from the treasury to a particular department) should be issued immediately following his meeting and discussion with the representatives of the company. 

On August 27, 2015, a proposal was sent to the Finance department for release of funds of Rs 270 crore. The Finance department gave its approval to the proposal and issued orders to the concerned officials to release the stated fund to the Siemens company with immediate effect. 

When the AP CID officials showed this hard evidence to Naidu, he was caught off-guard and gave an unconvincing or inadequate reply. 

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