YSR Congress Party chief whip in Parliament Y.V. Subba Reddy on Saturday demanded a probe by the CBI into cash-for-vote scam under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court.
The probe into the scam in which Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was allegedly involved should be speeded up in the wake of the reported offer of Jerusalem Mathaiah, fourth accused, to turn to an approver in the case, Mr. Subba Reddy said while walking along with YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, at Sankavaram near Kanigiri in Prakasam district.
“We have full faith in the judiciary and sure that justice will prevail in the case sooner than later,” Mr. Subba Reddy said.
The State’s interests had also been adversely affected as the Chief Minister was unable to effectively articulate the State’s cause effectively with the Centre as also the Telangana State, he felt.
Meanwhile, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy gave a patient hearing to a group of sweet lime growers who complained to him that productivity was hit because of prolonged dryspell. He assured them of considering their demand for setting up of food processing units in the region, if the YSRCP was voted to power in the next elections.
AgriGold issue
He also promised to intervene when a group of AgriGold agents and customers raised the issue of delay in return of their deposits. Contract electricity employees, who have been agitating for regularisation of their services, complained to him that the Chief Minister had failed to implement the poll promise given to them to regularise their services. A group of contract teachers from Kasturiba Gandhi Balikala Vidyalaya also sought his support for payment of equal pay for equal work as suggested by the Apex court.
‘Will end misrule’
Later, addressing a public meeting, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy dared Mr. Naidu to make the YSRC MLAs who had defected to the TDP without resigning, to face the byelections.
The ruling TDP had denigrated the august law-making body by making some of the defectors even Ministers with the “illgotten wealth,” he alleged.
Referring to the cash-for-vote scam, he said it was unfortunate that no action had been taken against those caught with audio and video proofs. He sought the people’s blessings to end the “mockery of democracy” restore value-based politics in the State.
He promised to complete the Veligonda project on a war- footing on coming to power. Stating that all sections of people were dissatisfied with the “misrule” of the Naidu government, he contended that none of the promises made at the time of elections had been implemented fully.
Contract and outsourced employees, who voted Mr. Naidu to power going by his promise to regularise their services, were ruing their fate now.
The fee reimbursement scheme introduced by the former Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, had been diluted with each student forced to shell out about 60% of the fee charged by engineering colleges, he said. He welcomed suggestions to improve the ‘Navaratna’ promises.
