Telangana Crisis | ₹1400 Crore GST Scam; Revanth Reddy’s Government Faces Central Heat!

There’s a saying that suspicion is a ghost that haunts. This very suspicion has now landed the Revanth Reddy government in trouble.

Due to the misdeeds of an IAS officer, the Revanth Reddy government is now in a state of confusion, unsure of what to do next.

The Commercial Taxes Department of Telangana suspects that some firms in the state have evaded GST to the tune of over ₹1400 crores. Commercial Taxes Commissioner T.K. Sridevi identified that a total of 11 companies were involved in this evasion. Following this, she directed Joint Commissioner Ravi to file a complaint with the CCS police.

As soon as the enormity of the ₹1400 crore tax evasion was revealed, the state government immediately sprang into action, handing over the case to the CID.

The CID has registered cases against former Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, Additional Commissioner of State GST Kashi Visveswara Rao, Joint Commissioner Sivarama Prasad, and IIT Hyderabad Professor Shobhan Babu.

Just as the CID began its investigation, the Central GST department intervened, demanding half of the evaded amount and requesting the names of the tax evaders in a letter. This unexpected twist has left the government officials in a state of shock.

When the CID questioned Joint Commissioner Ravi, who filed the complaint, he stated that he did so only under the instructions of then-Commissioner Sridevi, and he had no further knowledge. This response left the police dumbfounded.

Government officials are furious about filing cases without complete information and evidence.

The police are in a dilemma, as some of the entities suspected by IAS officer T.K. Sridevi are government institutions.

Officials working in the state’s Commercial Taxes Department are expressing their frustration, saying that the enthusiasm of the IAS officer has now put them in a tight spot with central agencies.

The state government is particularly angered by the filing of cases alleging GST evasion against entities like the State Beverages Corporation, Transco, LIC, and NMDC, among others.

Unable to figure out how to handle the situation caused by the IAS officer’s actions, it’s reported that she has been transferred from her position.