Skill Scam: Chandrababu Naidu’s arrest not illegal, says YSRCP lawmakers in Assembly

AMARAVATI: The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) lawmakers have alleged that TDP president and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has masterminded the multi-crore Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) and he has been arrested with proper evidence.

During a short discussion held on Skill Scam in the ongoing Assembly sessions on Friday, Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy reiterated that Chandrababu Naidu was the sole architect of the Rs 371- crore Skill Scam and the money reached his entities. He alleged that Naidu used Siemens Company’s name to divert Government funds to the tune of Rs 371-crore to shell companies without inviting any tenders.

"We don't have any intention of wrecking a political vendetta against Naidu. The former Chief Minister was arrested with proper evidence. However, the friendly media of Naidu has been projecting that no scam has happened in APSSDC and resorting to mudslinging on the YSRCP Government for prosecuting him,” Buggana said. All those involved in the scam were sent to jail and Naidu was not an exception to the law, he added.

The Finance Minister also stressed the need to investigate the case by the CID in a detailed manner to expose the insights of the scam. "In what capacity, Ganta Subba Rao has been appointed to various prominent posts by Naidu. In 2015-16, Rs 371 crore was released and Design Tech was a shell company. How can they enter into an agreement with Siemens Company without mentioning the date. Why did Nandamuri Balakrishna and other TDP MLAs escape from the discussion on Skill Scam? IT notices to Naidu are proof of the corruption caused by him," Buggana said.

Former minister Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani) alleged that Chandrababu Naidu scripted the Skill Scam soon after he assumed charge as Chief Minister. As part of his plan, Ganta Subba Rao was appointed to prominent posts in his regime. Only Naidu and Subba Rao were aware of the happenings in APSSDC. There was no mention of Rs 3,000 crore from the Siemens Company and APSSDC was constituted by the TDP Government 19 days after the Design Tech representatives met him, he said.

Perni Nani said,“Nobody sought to know why the funds were sent to Design Tech instead of Siemens as part of the contract. The Design Tech diverted the funds to various shell companies and to Naidu’s personal assistant Srinivas. How can the Government release Rs 371 crore without receiving any amount from Siemens? Naidu's signature was also found on 13 documents related to the Skill Scam.”

He also reminded that the counsel for Chandrababu did not argue that the scam did not take place during the trial in the courts. Instead, they argued that Section 17 (A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act would not be applicable in this case. Naidu, the mastermind of this scam, was kept in jail. All are equal before the law and nobody was an exception, he added.