Shankar Rao may be shown the door

HYDERABAD: Amid speculation that P Shankar Rao may be dropped from the Kiran Kumar cabinet, the textiles minster called on governor E S L Narasimhan on Thursday to present his version of the controversial statements made against cabinet colleagues and also submitted a memorandum against the CM for failing to take 'corrective' action.
Rao accused home minister Sabita Indra Reddy of "having the worst track record" even during her previous stint as minister for mines."She has amassed a lot of ill-gotten wealth, there are instances of loot of public exchequer and collection of money by corrupt practices. Similarly, excise minister Mopidevi Venkataramana puts a rate for each posting or transfer right from the level of a constable in his department," Rao alleged in his memorandum.
"I begged the chief minister to look into allegations of corruption against ministers for home, excise, revenue, roads & buildings, irrigation and public enterprises, but no corrective measures have been taken by him. Several complaints of corruption against bureaucrats, civil servants, elected public representatives and ministers are pouring in from people from various walks of life. As a member of the council of ministers, I have been bringing the same to the notice of the CM. The most serious allegations I received in the recent times are about the corrupt practices by ministers of home and excise," Rao said.
"It is a must that the government act tough in eradicating corruption by taking appropriate action against all dishonest people, however big they may be. In spite of umpteen representations, no corrective action was taken by the concerned, including the office of the chief minister," he added.
Home minister Sabita Reddy, who has been the target of Shankar Rao's attack, also met the governor in the evening to 'clarify' her position. Highly-placed sources said the chief minister is likely to meet the governor on Friday with a request to seek Rao's removal from the council of ministers.