BRS files complaint with ED against Telangana CM on Swachh Bio MoU

Hyderabad, Aug 20 (IANS) A leader of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), on Tuesday, filed a complaint with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and his brother over alleged conflict of interest in the Swachh Bio deal. 

BRS spokesperson Krishank Manne raised serious concerns over a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Swachh Bio and the Telangana government.

The MoU, announced by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on August 6 during his visit to the United States, involves an investment of Rs 1,000 crore.

According to BRS, the ED authorities took the complaint and gave an acknowledgement. The complaint alleges a "conflict of interest" and "quid pro quo", pointing out that one of the directors of Swachh Bio is Anumula Jagdeeshwar Reddy, the brother of the Chief Minister.

"It is a matter of serious concern that one of the directors of Swachh Bio, Anumula Jagdeeshwar Reddy, is the Chief Minister's brother, which raises questions about the integrity of the deal," Krishank Manne stated in his letter to the ED.

The complaint also highlights that Swachh Bio was incorporated just 15 days before the Chief Minister's official visit to Philadelphia, US, where the MoU was signed.

The company registered at Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, is allegedly a shell company with no active business operations. "What is the purpose of announcing this company in the US? Does it involve foreign funds? Is there any connection to money laundering?" the complaint said.

The complaint also raises concerns about the involvement of Harsha Pasunuri, who was pictured alongside Revanth Reddy during the MoU signing.

"The person in the picture with the Chief Minister signing the MoU is Pasunuri. He and CM's brother should explain their financials and how they came forward to invest Rs 1000 crore," Manne added.

Manne urged the authorities to investigate the matter thoroughly, stating, "As this is sheer corruption, we request the authorities to kindly accept our appeal as a complaint and conduct a fair investigation on Swachh Bio directors as well as Anumula Revanth Reddy."

Telangana IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu, who accompanied Revanth Reddy during the US tour, clarified that the government did not give any special incentives for land.

The Minister said that though Swachh Bio may have been incorporated recently, it partnered with Suganit Renewables and has as many as eight patents in the bioethanol production cycle including 2G ethanol technology.

He said that the company has raised enough resources and plans to set up multiple units in the State.

"What we signed was a generic MoU and the government has not offered anything special in terms of land or incentives," he said.

--IANS

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