The AP government has ordered an ACB investigation against Venkata Reddy, the former director of the mining department, who has become a hotbed of irregularities. He was suspended in the case of illegal mining and sand. Chief Secretary Nirabkumar Prasad issued a memo on Thursday ordering the ACB DG to investigate his corruption and irregularities during the YSRCP regime.
The report given by the Mines Department on sand irregularities has been sent to the DG. It is reported that more cases will be filed against Venkata Reddy on the allegations that YSRCP leaders are behind the theft of silica sand and quartz in the undivided Nellore district.
It seems that different cases may be filed after the preparation of a comprehensive report on the irregularities in coal tenders in APMDC, Muggurai in Mangampet and beach sand tenders in Nellore.
Venkata Reddy, a senior civilian staff officer of the Indian Coast Guards, came on deputation to AP in December 2019. First joined the education department. After that he took charge as Director of Mines Department and for some years as MD of APMDC. There were serious allegations of his irregularities in that department.
As a result, the NDA government removed Venkata Reddy from those two posts on June 7. Ordered to report in GAD and no posting was given anywhere. Venkata Reddy’s deputation expired on July 31.
On the other hand, the AP government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on Wednesday regarding violations in sand mining in the state. The affidavit has attached the report given by the Department of Mines to the government stating that irregularities and violations in many reaches are true.
At the same time, CS Nirabkumar Prasad wrote a letter to the Director General of the Coast Guard Headquarters in Delhi, Venkata Reddy’s parent department. It disclosed that he was suspended as part of disciplinary action. In Venkata Reddy’s suspension orders, the government ordered him not to leave the headquarters, but his whereabouts are not known.
Venkata Reddy gave false information to the Supreme Court, High Court and National Green Tribunal. In March 2023, despite the NGT order canceling all permissions for sand reaches in AP, miners continued to dig as usual. Venkata Reddy said in his affidavit given to NGT and Supreme Court that there is no sand mining going on anywhere.
At the same time, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has placed evidence before the NGT and the Supreme Court that illegal sand mining is true and confirmed that Venkata Reddy had given false information to the courts.
