CBI can't question cabinet decisions: Dharmana

In a sensational statement that is likely to turn the government's stand on the ongoing probe into the issue of 26 GOs on its head, Roads and Buildings Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao questioned the CBI's authority to challenge cabinet decisions.

He clarified that he had given an explanation on the notices that he received and had also met Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy to explain his position.

"A Minister is also a government servant and when a minister is charged with cases, the CBI generally sought the state government’s permission to prosecute him under section 197 of the Cr. PC, as a matter of procedure.  Hence, one need not read anything much into the CBI's request to the government for permission to prosecute him, as is done in the case of any government servant, under the same rule. On the same note, the Court issued notices to him on the 14th of this month seeking his explanation on the charges that were leveled against him by the CBI" , he said.

Talking to the media at the Ministers' Quarters in Hyderabad on Sunday, he said that he had given a detailed explanation to the Chief Minister. His resignation had been pending with the CM for the past 45 days and that a decision would be taken on it based on his explanation. He requested the media not to treat the decisions taken by him as offences and that the CBI had only leveled charges against him and the others, based on which they were issued notices by the court. All this was standard procedure, he asserted.

Dharmana also maintained that all decisions had been taken by the cabinet as per business rules. He did his work as a minister and urged the government to support all his decisions, since they were in consonance with business rules. Dharmana was hopeful that the government would support all his decisions as they were official in nature.
At the same time, the minister hoped that he would be able to prove his innocence when it came to the charges leveled against him by the CBI.

Dharmana also stated obliquely said that the Chief Minister did not have power to influence the cabinet to take a decision to allot lands to various branches of the government. He made it clear that Without a cabinet decision, not a single acre of land can be allotted by the revenue minister or even the chief minister to any person or any orgganisation. In other words, the Minister implied that all such decisions related to the issue of the GOs in question, were ones taken by the Cabinet collectively.

Finally, Dharmana reiterated that he had done no wrong and that he would emerge unscathed from the ongoing probe.

- Siva@sakshipost

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