Ministers under scanner in Jagan case, meet to counter charges

On the other hand, the main Opposition party TDP today demanded dismissal of the "tainted ministers" forthwith.

The four ministers - Sabita Reddy (Home), Ponnala Lakshmaiah (Information Technology), Kanna Lakshmi Narayana and J Geeta - met and discussed about filing a counter petition in the court, sources said.

The state government agreed to bear the legal expenses of these ministers and even gave a clean chit to them.

The Opposition parties found fault with the government over this.

The 26 controversial GOs are crucial in the alleged quid pro quo deals that benefited Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy amass huge wealth. Some GOs relate to illegal mining of iron ore by mining mafia kingpin Gali Janardhan Reddy.

The four ministers reportedly maintained that they acted strictly in accordance with the business rules and did nothing wrong in issuing the GOs.

Incidentally, the then Infrastructure Minister -- who too was served a notice by the Apex Court -- has already been arrested by the CBI and is in jail now.

Another minister Dharmana Prasada Rao has been named in the CBI chargesheet in the Vanpic Project case. Though Dharmana submitted his resignation, the Chief Minister is yet to accept it.

Meanwhile, the TDP raised the "tainted ministers" issue in the state Assembly today.

"We have a government but no governance. We have a dishonest government where some ministers are convicted by courts," TDP deputy leader P Ashoka Gajapati Raju alleged and demanded that the ministers be dismissed forthwith.

Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu, however, took strong exception to the TDP leader's remarks and said the matter was still sub judice.

"No minister has been convicted," he said.