Only seven of the Cabinet ministers have complied with Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy’s directive to submit details of their assets since he himself failed to do so. Interestingly, firebrand textiles minister P. Shankar Rao, while not submitting any details himself, has asked for information about others’ assets under the Right To Information Act. This has put the senior officials of the administration in a quandary.
“We have to reveal to the world that the chief minister did not submit any details. There is also the tricky situation wherein the applicant himself is a defaulter,” said a source.
Following Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking his ministerial colleagues to declare their assets, the chief minister had given a similar order to his Cabinet and set a deadline of August 30.
Sources said that only cooperation minister Kasu Krishna Reddy, finance minister A. Ramanarayana Reddy, home minister P. Sabita Reddy, IT minister P. Lakshmaiah, tourism minister V. Vasanth Kumar and primary education minister S. Sailajanath have declared their assets so far. The CM, meanwhile, came out in support of the ministers who failed stating that they would have anyways submitted the details to the Assembly Speaker.
He, however, went on to announce that a reminder would be sent to the defaulters to comply with his order before September 15. The situation has remained the same even a month after the new deadline.
Meanwhile, Dr Shankar Rao, who had openly accused his Cabinet colleagues of corruption, threatened to expose other corrupt ministers too.