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The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday appointed a three-member high-level committee headed by the state Chief Secretary J Harinarayan to inquire thoroughly into the allegations made by former Vigilance Commissioner Ramachandra Samal for taking 'corrective measures' to eradicate corruption at all levels.
Apart from Harinarayan, the other two members of the committee are Director-General of Anti-Corruption Bureau S S P Yadav and Director-General of Vigilance and Enforcement R R Girish Kumar.
Announcing this at a media conference, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy said on the basis of the recommendations made by the three-member committee, the government would take required steps if any one was found guilty.
"As my government is committed to eradicate corruption at all levels, no corrupt official or politician, however big one might be, will be spared," he declared.
The committee will go into each line and paragraph of the report of the former Vigilance Commissioner. The committee will also look into the legality of whether a retired IAS officer has a right to come out with wild allegations against the government and its serving officers.
It may be recalled that in the 56-page report released to the media after laying down office as Vigilance Commissioner, Samal accused three ministers and 18 senior All India Services (IAS, IPS and Indian Forest Service) officials of indulging in corrupt practices.
The report created a sensation in the bureaucratic and political circles.
Quoting extensively comments made by Samal in his 'so-called report,' the chief minister felt that it was unbecoming of an officer to make such sweeping remarks against officials, politicians and even Central agencies like the state Administrative Tribunal.
He said that 'no one in his right senses will make such degrading remarks.'
Referring to comments made against Home Minister K Jana Reddy, the chief minister pointed that everyone knew of the great services rendered by the home minister for the past 27 years as a political leader.
Pointing that Samal had few good words about him in the report, Dr Reddy wondered why he had failed to submit even a single report to him during his three-year tenure as Vigilance Commissioner 'if he had confidence in him for taking appropriate action.'
What is more, Samal had not even submitted annual reports, which he was expected to do, he added.
The chief minister said the government had appropriately acted in as many as 86 per cent of cases reported by the Vigilance Commission, while in the other 14 per cent cases, the government reduced punishment by 50 per cent on humanitarian grounds.
"Does the government have no right and liberty to do what is good? He (Samal) is not the government, he was only a recommendatory authority," he observed, and went on to explain that there were certain established norms for initiating action.
Dr Reddy expressed his anguish that Samal had not even spared the Chief Minister's Office by leveling baseless charges and irrelevant remarks on Principal Secretary to CM Jannat Hussain and Special Secretary MGVK Bhanu, both of whom are known for their hard work, sincerity and integrity.
In fact, Union Commerce Minister Kamal Nath had appreciated the services of Bhanu, an Assam cadre IAS officer, for his yeomen services, he said.