Action on cops if involved in Nerella excesses: KTR

Hyderabad: Industries Minister K T Rama Rao on Wednesday made a promise that action would be taken against the police officials of Siricilla district if they are found committing excesses on Dalit in Nerella.

The Minister had an informal chat with the media representatives and had spoken about various issues, including Nerella incident. KTR said the opposition parties had been using the incident to get political mileage by raising bogey of sand mafia and atrocities on the Daliths. He said the incident was an accident and there was no Dalith or sand mafia angle to the issue.

Narrating the sequence of events in Nerella, he said the government had given permission for sand excavation in mid Manair project as there was abundant sand. Once the project is filled with water, the sand cannot be excavated. This would result into loss of revenue to the government. Permits on large-scale were given and number of trucks had risen due to this.

An accident took place at Nerella and the irate mob torched six lorries on the spur of moment. However, he did not know when the police arrested few persons and sent them to remand. The arrest came to the light when the prison officials refused to take them.

Stating that the government had earned Rs 1,000 crore on sand excavation, he said that it has got Rs 20 crore in the form of penalties on the trucks for rash driving and illegal excavation which is higher than the revenue during the Congress government.

He said that if there was an involvement of mafia in the sand excavation, how the government got so much of revenue and the allegations of the opposition were contradictory. The Minister said he was not aware about the use of third degree on the accused in the case. Local leaders did not tell him about the issue.

Refuting the allegation of Opposition that he was directly involved in the case, the Minister said how a Minister would direct the police to beat up people of his own constituency. He said there were few Schedule Caste persons among those arrested and SC community was not targeted as alleged by Opposition.

Leaders of various political parties started to make beeline to Nerella and he did not have a chance to visit the village. During his visit to Nerella, the victims had complained against the police and no one accused him. KTR said that the DIG concerned had been asked to file a report on the incident and if the police were found guilty, the government would spare none.

Speaking on the Himanshu Motors issue, the Minister said that he was a partner in the company, and it had ceased its operations prior to 2014. As it had incurred losses, the company was not doing any business and they are yet to start the winding up activity.

The Opposition had levelled allegation that the government had purchased vehicles from the Himanshu Motors though it was in tractors business only. He defended the government’s action in giving exemptions to Swarna Bharati Trust as it was doing yeoman service.