Forum for Good Governance has requested the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to order for an enquiry into the list of nominations for Padma Awards to be announced on the eve of the ensuing Republic Day, sent by the State Government, and recommend only the deserving candidates. The Forum contended that serious lapses had taken place in recommending certain names of persons for the Awards.
At a media meet held at NSS here Wednesday, Forum Secretary M Padmanabha Reddy and Vice-President Dr Rao Chelikani released copies of a three-page letter addressed by them to the Prime Minister, along with enclosures relating to the minutes of the Screening meetings, and explaining how the rules were violated. They pointed out that the process adopted for recommending the names was ‘casual and routine’ and ‘there was no transparency in the whole process’.
They contended that after scrutiny by the screening committee and finalization of the list, the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy suggested deletion of few names if possible. ‘It is obvious from the notings on the file that the C m had deliberately interfered and exerted pressure on scrutinizing committee in at least four nominations”. These names were rejected by the committee earlier and happened to be included in the list at the behest of the C M. In addition, the c m has over ruled the recommendations of the scrutinizing committee by giving orders for inclusion of some other names, they alleged. (NSS)
