NDA Govt On A Sticky Wicket Over APSFL Chairman Controversy

The TDP-led coalition in Andhra Pradesh has found itself on a sticky wicket over the controversies surrounding Andhra Pradesh State FiberNet Limited (APSFL) following sweeping allegations made by its Chairman GV Reddy against Managing Director K Dinesh Kumar, a 2017 batch IAS officer.

The allegations led to serious opposition by a section of the IAS officers thereby forcing Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu take strong exception to it and directing Reddy not to rush to the media with the goings-on in APSFL. The end-result: Four days after the controversial press conference held by Reddy, he tendered resignation not only from his post but also from the primary membership of TDP and Chief Secretary K Vijayanand issued orders transferring Dinesh Kumar from the post and asking him to report to GAD for further orders. Dinesh Kumar has also been transferred from key posts he held in AP Drone Corporation and Real-Time Governance (RTG) Department.

Reddy, who was the national spokesperson of TDP and an influential figure, was earlier summoned by Naidu and told categorically that in the event of any serious development, he should inform the Chief Minister or the Chief Minister Office. Later Investment, Infrastructure and BC Welfare Minister Janardhan Reddy was entrusted with the responsibility to sort out the matter by talking to Reddy and Dinesh Kumar. Reddy and Dinesh Kumar were at loggerheads ever since the former was appointed as the Chairman of APFSL after TDP and its allies formed the government after a landslide victory in June last year.

Reddy had accused Dinesh Kumar of insubordination, deliberate dereliction of duty, nepotism, not implementing his orders to 410 contract employees who were recruited during YSRCP regime violating norms, Reddy had said, "I wanted to develop APSFL as a profit-making company with turnover of Rs 1,000 crore but due to hostile attitude of officials led by Dinesh Kumar, he was not able to do so."

In his resignation letter, Reddy thanked Naidu for giving him an opportunity to serve APSFL and the party and cited "personal grounds" for the resignation from APSFL and primary membership of TDP. Before making allegations against Dinesh Kumar, Reddy had issued orders for removal of APFSL Chief Technical Officer Pappu Bharadwaja, business and operations head G Suresh and procurement assistant manager Sashank Hyder Khan. They were removed on the ground of not implementing the termination of contract workers recruited during the previous regime.

Several IAS officers had vented out their anger to the CMO against serious allegations made by Reddy tarnishing the image of the official machinery.

Earlier, YSRCP leader P Gowtham Reddy, who served as APSFL Chairman during the erstwhile government, said after TDP came to power, there were attempts to dismantle the organisation. Meanwhile, the supporters of GV Reddy and several TDP activists took to social media to express their anguish over the way Naidu was handling APFSL affairs.