State Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar responded sharply to allegations made by former minister and YSRCP leader Perni Nani, who claimed that cases were filed against him out of personal vendetta despite paying penalties for missing rice bags in his godown.
Minister Manohar questioned why a penalty was paid if no wrongdoing occurred. He also asked why the godown was leased in the name of Nani’s wife and clarified that cases are filed against individuals under whose name the godown is registered.
Highlighting the issue of the missing rice bags, the minister demanded clarity on who had sent a letter offering to pay the penalty in advance. He dismissed the allegations of political conspiracy, stating that the coalition government had no such agenda, nor do Chief Minister Chandrababu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan hold personal grudges.
Manohar explained that orders for a comprehensive inspection of all godowns in the state were issued on November 26, and the very next day, an individual named Jayasudha admitted the mistake in a written letter. He revealed that 378 metric tons of rice were missing, leading to a penalty of ₹1.70 crore.
Criticizing the previous Jagan government, Manohar accused it of misusing systems for personal gains over the last five years. He also pointed out that Perni Nani did not respond to notices about the missing rice and stressed the need to account for the 378 metric tons.
Speaking in East Godavari district, the minister also participated in a program where ₹5 lakh cheques were distributed to the families of 21 Jana Sena activists who had lost their lives in separate incidents. The event was attended by Minister Kandula Durgesh, Kakinada MP Uday Srinivas, and Rajanagaram MLA Bathula Balaramakrishna.
