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Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan expressed serious concern over the burning of files, records and computer data belonging to the pollution control board.
The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday ordered a probe into the burning of certain files and computer hard discs, supposedly belonging to the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) and the AP Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC) by some miscreants on the outskirts of Vijayawada on Wednesday night.
An official statement said deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan, who is also holding the portfolio of environment and forests, expressed serious concern over the burning of files, records and computer data belonging to the pollution control board.
“The deputy chief minister ordered the authorities to submit a report on all the details pertaining to the incident and conduct a probe into the conspiracy behind it. He asked the authorities to find out who were behind the burning of the files and take appropriate legal action against them,” the statement said.
Pawan Kalyan also sought to know what steps the authorities would take to safeguard the files and reports in the pollution control board and how safe the data was preserved.
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While the police remained tight-lipped about the incident, a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader said on the condition of anonymity that the incident took place on the banks of Krishna river near the Srinagar Colony of Pedapulipaka village of Penamaluru mandal on the outskirts of Vijayawada around 9pm on Wednesday.
He said some people allegedly came in a government vehicle came to the river bank, took out several bundles of files and computer discs and set them on fire.
“A local TDP worker who was passing by, noticed it and questioned them about it. He found the pictures of senior YSR Congress party leader and former mines and environment minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy and also that of former APPCB chairman Sameer Sharma on some of the documents,” the leader added.
The TDP worker immediately alerted local party leaders and Penamaluru MLA Bode Prasad, who rushed to the site. By that time, the suspects left for Yanamalakuduru village in the car, but the TDP leaders chased them and managed to apprehend two people, including driver Nagaraju, and hand them over to the police.
“Apart from the files pertaining to the pollution control board, there were also some documents related to the AP Mineral Development Corporation among the burnt material,” the TDP leader quoted above said.
He said the police were now questioning some employees of the pollution control board. “More details are expected to come out during the course of investigation,” he added.