Former I&PR chief in ACB net

Vijayawada: The ACB has registered a case against the former commissioner I&PR Tumma Vijayakumar Reddy for alleged irregularities that took place during the YSRCP regime between 2019 and 2024 in releasing advertisements.

According to TDP spokespersons, the YSRCP had then meticulously selected some go-getters giving a go by to the administrative efficiency. These central cadre officers acted as henchmen of the then government and indulged in several irregularities.

According to an official statement given by the NDA alliance government after it came to power in June this year, Reddy is said to have released advertisements to Sakshi, Telugu newspaper and TV channel owned by the former CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to the tune of Rs 371 crore during the five-year period. Along with it a few other papers and channels were also favoured without following the Supreme Court guidelines relating to the release of advertisements. According to GO 431, there should be no favouritism, and the advertisements should be released based on the circulation of the newspapers.

The I&PR department during that period had also not cleared the bills of other newspapers for the few advertisements that were released.

Even while being released there used to be a lot of bargaining on the tariffs and they were asked to accept very low rates though every newspaper has an approved rate list by the I&PR department.

When the newspapers had asked for revision of the ad rates, a departmental meeting was held in July 2019, and they decided to give a steep hike to Sakshi.

It is also alleged that over 250 people, mostly from the media house owned by the former CM, were appointed as outsourcing employees in the I & PR department and AP Digital Corporation. Soon after the NDA government came to power the vigilance was asked to probe into the case and the government had refused to relieve the commissioner. But using his clout at central level, the commissioner managed to go back to PIB Kolkata.

In the backdrop of this, the ACB is learnt to have booked cases against him under sections 120(B), Anti-Corruption Act 7, 13(2) read with 13(1) (A) sections.

The ACB also registered an FIR against N Sanjay, former Additional Director General of APCID who was recently suspended on charges of misconduct, misuse of power and misutilisation of government funds to the tune of Rs 1.36 crore.