Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Monday, November 25, announced that the Rs 100 crore donation from the Adani group for the development of the Young India Skill University has been halted amid allegations of fraud against Businessman Gautam Adani by the United States.
Reacting to the development, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA T Harish Rao slammed Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy for halting the Rs 100 crore fund for Skill University which was to be donated by the Adani group.
Referring to a deal signed with the Adani group in Davos, Rao asked: “What about the Rs 12,400-crore deal you made with Adani in Davos at a time when Rahul Gandhi has been demanding the setting up of a joint parliamentary committee on Adani’s corruption?”
Telangana govt halts Adani’s Rs 100 cr donation for Young India Skills Univ
The BRS MLA further attacked Reddy alleging the latter wanted to hand over the Telangana discomms to the Adani group, “What about your conspiracies to hand over discoms in the State to Adani and privatise them.”
Rao also alleged that the Telangana government catered to the Adani when a proposal to set up a 20,000-megawatt thermal plant was being discussed.
“Adani is a corrupt person, he is being welcomed by the Congress,” the former Telangana finance minister remarked.
Rao urged the Telangana government to cancel all deals with the Adani group.
Telangana govt halts Adani’s Rs 100 cr donation for Skill University
Harish Rao’s reaction comes after the Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy, while addressing a press conference here on Monday said that his government has not accepted any funds from the Adani Group.
“I and my Cabinet colleagues do not want to be involved in unnecessary discussions and situations that would dent the image of the state government or my own. That is why, on behalf of the state government, our official Jayesh Ranjan wrote a letter (to Adanis),” he told reporters.
“Due to the (present) situation and controversies, the Telangana government is not ready to accept the Rs 100 crore donation you (Adani) generously offered,” Reddy added.
In a letter addressed to the chairperson of the Adani Foundation, Priti Adani, the Telangana government’s special chief secretary Jayesh Ranjan stated that the university project had recently secured income tax exemption under Section 80G, enabling easier facilitation of such donations.
However, the Congress-run state government has decided to halt any transfer of donations towards the project in light of the recent bribery allegations against Gautam Adani.
