HYDERABAD: The Income Tax department has issued notices to senior TRS leaders, including ministers, who had in 2017 collected lakhs of rupees doing petty jobs as part of a fund-raiser.
On April 27, 2017, the leaders, including ministers K T Rama Rao, T Harish Rao and former MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha among others, had symbolically sold ice cream, lifted gunny bags as porters, delivered lectures in colleges and sold sarees, and in the process received donations. The money was used for the TRS foundation day celebrations at Warangal.
While TRS leaders say that all activities as part of the fundraiser were transparent and no law was broken, Congress Malkajgiri MP A Revanth Reddy, who is the complainant in the case, has a different view.
“The rules state that ministers, who are paid salaries, shall not earn money by performing other tasks,” Revanth told TOI. “The Labour Act defines minimum wages for coolies. In that case, how were TRS leaders paid lakhs for lifting a gunny bag? This is a clear case of quid pro quo where businessmen, realtors, hoteliers and hospital owners paid huge sums as bribes to public representatives.”
TRS did not show earnings: Revanth
Revanth, who was TDP’s working president in Telangana when the complaint was filed, alleged, “KT Rama Rao sold ice cream to Malla Reddy who runs educational institutions. Many of these institutions have complaints pending with the municipal department for building violations, property tax default and agricultural land being used for non-agricultural purposes. Besides, according to ACB rules, undervaluation or overvaluation of work amounts to a bribe.”
Former MP and state planning board vice-chairman B Vinod Kumar said, “Income Tax department issuing notices doesn’t mean the law was broken. TRS leaders collected contributions, and everything was done transparently. Based on Revanth’s petition, Delhi high court issued directions to Income Tax department which is following court orders. All party leaders will reply to the notices. There was no foul play.”
Revanth has also alleged that collecting party funds in cash for an amount more than ?20,000 is not allowed. It has to be done through cheque. “TRS party didn’t show this collection in their returns filed with the Election Commission,” he alleged. “Ministers, MPs and MLAs and businessmen also didn’t show them in their returns. Almost all ministers went to establishments falling in the jurisdiction of their departments. For instance, the civil supplies minister went to rice mills, education minister went to colleges and health minister to hospitals,” he added.
On April 27, 2017, the leaders, including ministers K T Rama Rao, T Harish Rao and former MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha among others, had symbolically sold ice cream, lifted gunny bags as porters, delivered lectures in colleges and sold sarees, and in the process received donations. The money was used for the TRS foundation day celebrations at Warangal.
While TRS leaders say that all activities as part of the fundraiser were transparent and no law was broken, Congress Malkajgiri MP A Revanth Reddy, who is the complainant in the case, has a different view.
“The rules state that ministers, who are paid salaries, shall not earn money by performing other tasks,” Revanth told TOI. “The Labour Act defines minimum wages for coolies. In that case, how were TRS leaders paid lakhs for lifting a gunny bag? This is a clear case of quid pro quo where businessmen, realtors, hoteliers and hospital owners paid huge sums as bribes to public representatives.”
TRS did not show earnings: Revanth
Revanth, who was TDP’s working president in Telangana when the complaint was filed, alleged, “KT Rama Rao sold ice cream to Malla Reddy who runs educational institutions. Many of these institutions have complaints pending with the municipal department for building violations, property tax default and agricultural land being used for non-agricultural purposes. Besides, according to ACB rules, undervaluation or overvaluation of work amounts to a bribe.”
Former MP and state planning board vice-chairman B Vinod Kumar said, “Income Tax department issuing notices doesn’t mean the law was broken. TRS leaders collected contributions, and everything was done transparently. Based on Revanth’s petition, Delhi high court issued directions to Income Tax department which is following court orders. All party leaders will reply to the notices. There was no foul play.”
Revanth has also alleged that collecting party funds in cash for an amount more than ?20,000 is not allowed. It has to be done through cheque. “TRS party didn’t show this collection in their returns filed with the Election Commission,” he alleged. “Ministers, MPs and MLAs and businessmen also didn’t show them in their returns. Almost all ministers went to establishments falling in the jurisdiction of their departments. For instance, the civil supplies minister went to rice mills, education minister went to colleges and health minister to hospitals,” he added.
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