Anantapur: TDP camp jittery over CBI probe

Anantapur: With the state cabinet taking a decision to order CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the AP Fibernet project and also the 'Chandranna Sankranthi, Ramzan and Christmas Thofa' schemes implemented during the TDP rule, gloom and despair set in the camp of the then TDP Civil Supplies Minister Paritala Sunitha. Although technically Palle Raghunath Reddy was not the IT Minister responsible for AP Fibernet project, there is a lurking fear that he could be implicated or made the scapegoat in some case or the other.

Nara Lokesh, the son of the then Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, took over from Palle Raghunath Reddy after a cabinet reshuffle in 2017 April 7. The Fibernet project was launched in December 2017. Sources close to Palle say that their leader is in a safe zone and has nothing to do with the AP Fibernet project.

The TDP camp particularly the Paritala Sunitha camp is now under the grip of fear and there is a speculation that Paritala Sunitha also might be arrested, when the CBI undertakes the probe into the alleged scams.

This has become a hot topic in the TDP circles about the possibility of Sunitha's arrest. However, the TDP leaders opposed to Sunitha are jubilant that if cases are foisted on her, she can be politically vanquished. Meanwhile the Sunitha camp, it is learnt is also taking legal opinion on the pros and cons of the CBI probe. The CBI would probe into the tendering and procurement of supplies distributed to poor under the 'Chandranna Sankranthi', 'Ramzan Thofa' and 'Christmas Kanuka' schemes by the previous TDP government.

The cabinet sub-committee has detected 'glaring' irregularities in the tendering process and procurement in the 'Chandranna Sankranthi,' 'Ramzan Thofa' and 'Christmas Kanuka' schemes to the tune of Rs 150 crores.

The TDP leaders in the district are tight lipped on the prospects of former minister's arrest but in private are expressing fears of party getting more weakened in the wake of recent developments involving arrest of TDP senior leaders and their implication in multiple scams.

A fear psychosis gripped TDP camp with the arrest of ex-MLA of Tadipatri JC Prabhakar Reddy in JC Travels scandal. Talk of several leaders arrest rocking the TDP boat also is not being ruled out.