AP Govt admits mistake in dam row

Hyderabad, Apr 17 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Government today admitted as a mistake the filing of criminal cases against TDP MLAs on the Sripadasagar row, an issue which figured in the Assembly.

The government withdrew the letter on the complaint made with the police on the MLAs presenting 'false and fabricated' papers in connection with the project before the media, Andhra Pradesh Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah told at a press conference here.

Asked whether the government would take action against Irrigation Principal Secretary C V S K Sharma for writing the letter to the DGP without verifying the procedure, the Minister questioned, ''Is it not enough that the government is accepting its mistake?'' Narrating the sequence, he said Mr Sharma, on behalf of government, wrote a letter to DGP Swaranjit Sen on April 15 to take up the issue of the TDP presenting 'fake and fabricated' papers pertaining to the project to defame the government in the House.

A letter was also addressed to State Assembly Secretary. ''Later, the DGP handed over the letter to Crime Investigation Department (CID).

However, no case was registered against any TDP MLA. After knowing the procedure, the government withdrew the letter and later made a fresh representation on April 16 to police, to take action against the MLAs who produced 'fake and fabricated' papers on the said project at the media conference.

Based on this a case has been registered and inquiry is on, he explained.

The TDP, which had claimed it was ready to face any inquiry over the issue, was now afraid of probe by the police and hence, politicising the issue, he charged.

UNI ASJ SM SB RR RAI2140