KTR, Harish Rao get Income tax notices

Hyderabad: The Income-Tax (I-T) Department has slapped notices on TRS leaders, including Telangana ministers KT Rama Rao, T Harish Rao and several MPs. The enormous public meeting Pragati Nivedana Sabha at Warangal on April 27, 2017, triggered the tax tangle for the party.

TPCC working president Revanth Reddy complained about misutilisation of power during the public meeting. Several TRS ministers and MLAs participated in the fundraising programme by offering 'Kar Seva,' for which massive amounts were paid as daily wages.

Several TRS ministers, MPs and MLAs participated in the fund-raising event by offering several types of services including doing physical work, making juice, selling vegetables and whatnot.

For instance, as part of Gulabi Cooli,' KTR made Rs seven lakh by selling ice-cream, which another Minister Malla Reddy purchased. The then minister Naini Narasimha Reddy generated Rs 20 lakh by working in a cloth showroom, Rs 50,000 by working at Bawarchi hotel and another Rs 50,000 from Pista House.

Revanth Reddy observed that there was no correlation between the nature of work and earnings. By working as mere maids, TRS ministers and leaders made lakhs of rupees.

Revanth Reddy, in his complaint, wondered how public representatives with remuneration and perks from the government, how can they raise funds for a political party?

Minister Etele Rajender and deputy CM Mahmood Ali are reportedly in the list.

TRS party raised funds to meet the expenditure on transportation and arranging facilities for the party cadres. Towards this, the pink party had taken up a 'Gulabi Cooli' programme for mobilising funds.

Revanth Reddy said that the leaders had raised money by doing 'Naam ke waaste' work and this was a violation of Prevention of Corruption Act-1988 and Public Representation Act-1951. He said had brought the issue to the notice of several constitutional and government agencies and departments and would soon approach courts.