YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, who has been striving right from the day one to provide transparent and corruption-free administration in the state, appears to be frustrated with the reports of some of his own cabinet colleagues allegedly indulging in corrupt practices.
At the cabinet meeting held at Secretariat in Amaravati on Wednesday, Jagan strongly warned his ministers against indulging in corruption.
Without naming any particular ministers, the chief minister said he had evidences of a few ministers resorting to corruption.
“I don’t want to reveal their names here, but I will call them and speak to them personally. I will not hesitate to take action against them, if they do not mend their ways,” Jagan told the cabinet ministers, leaving them in an uneasy atmosphere.
According to sources, there was a pin drop silence in the cabinet hall and a feeling of shock on the faces of all the ministers and officials, when Jagan was talking about corruption in the ministers for about five minutes.
He said he would sack such corrupt ministers from the cabinet and that would send a strong message into the people.
“But, if I take action against the corrupt ministers, then it will be embracement for both me as well as the accused ministers,” he said.
In fact, it is his second warning to the ministers after taking over as the chief minister. He said the media was watching everything and every activity of the government.
“If you don't change your corrupt practices and will be exposed by media, there will be pressure on me and I have to remove you from the cabinet," Jagan told them.
The chief minister pointed out that he had selected his cabinet colleagues out of 150 MLAs, hoping that they were the best.
“When I am trying to deliver good governance, these type of corrupt practices from ministers wouldn't be good for the government as well as party,” he observed.
