YSR never kept me in the loop on Ramky sops: Kanna

HYDERABAD: Former industries minister Kanna Lakshminarayana said on Friday that the decision to grant concessions to Ramky Pharma City was taken by former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and that the relevant file was not even circulated to him. Kanna is among the six ministers who were served notices by the Supreme Court in connection with the issuance of 26 GOs by the YSR regime that is being probed by the CBI as part of the Jagan assets case.
"The decision to grant reimbursement of stamp duty registration fee was taken via GO No.741 issued on November 14, 2006, when I was not even the industries minister. Subsequently, on February 18, 2010, the finance department issued GO No.642, which was a budget release order for Rs 3.15 crore to the industries commissioner to be reimbursed as registration fee and stamp duty to Ramky Group. On February 26, 2010, the industries department, through GO12, reimbursed the amount to the private promoter. GO12 was issued at the level of the principal secretary and the file was not even brought to my knowledge," Kanna told TOI.
In fact, a note prepared by the industries and commerce department on March 14 this year on the directive of the chief minister's office appears to corroborate Kanna. "GO12 was issued at the level of principal secretary. Kanna Lakshminarayana was the major industries minister during that period. However, that file was not seen by him. The file was not circulated to the minister as the decision to refund stamp duty and registration fee was already taken vide GO 741 in November 2006," the note said.
According to sources, the finance department, chief secretary as well as Geeta Reddy who was the then industry minister were against granting the concessions and made their notings accordingly on the file. However, YSR overruled them and directed then industries principal secretary Lakshmi Parthasarthy to issue GO 741, the sources said.
According to the March 2012 note sent by the industries department to the CMO, Lakshmi Parthasarthy made the following endorsement on the file. "They (Ramky) are not eligible for such endorsements under APIDE Act but we may consider reimbursing the registration and transfer charges from the industries budget since all the schemes (mega) are getting this facility."
Kanna is currently giving the final touches to the counter that he is filing in response to the SC notices served on six ministers and eight IAS officers.
"I will be filing my counter separately as the charges against me are only politically motivated and leveled by the TDP and YSR Congress," Kanna said. While the SC has sent him the notice, Kanna has not been questioned by the CBI.
The Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City, a public-private initiative between the Ramky group and AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC), is spread across 2,400 acres in Parawada mandal of Visakhapatnam district and was meant to provide an assortment of facilities required for the pharma industry.