The Cabinet resolution rejecting the CBI plea to sanction prosecution against the Roads and Buildings Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao refuses to die down as an ex-MP K. Keshava Rao urged Governor E. S. L. Narasimhan urging him to reject State Cabinet’s “ill advised” decision.
On the other hand, another letter sent by the Health Minister D. L. Ravindra Reddy to Chief Secretary Minnie Mathew on November 27 would, for all practical purposes, be confined to the archives of the Secretariat.
Keshava Rao, in a letter to the Governor, said that CBI had filed prima facie evidence and filed the charge-sheet. The Council of Ministers was disentitled to take a decision on whether or not to permit prosecution of Mr. Dharmana as he happened to be its member. The Cabinet, Dr. Rao alleged, ‘misread’ Article 163 and wanted the Governor to be bound by its decision to save its errant member.
“The Cabinet perhaps feels there is no discretion available to the Governor in this matter,” he said.
Though few doubt the honesty of Mr. Dharmana, probity demanded that he proved his innocence before the court of law.
He recalled the case of another Minister (Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao) who was already languishing in custody, though not before the Governor, was sure to raise pertinent questions. “The irony will be having a Minister charged with criminal offence, yet you do not want to prosecute him and continue to be guided by his “aid and advice,” he said.
Dr. Ravindra Reddy’s letter of dissent, which he wanted to be sent to the Governor along with the Cabinet resolution, reached the GAD on Tuesday.
However, officials pointed out that the note would include final cabinet decisions and not who said what.
Thus they did not append the minister’s dissent note in the file sent to the Governor.
Sources said that given the business rules, there was no further administrative action to be taken on the Mr. Reddy’s letter.
“So it will be recorded and lodged in the archives,” they added.
