Will seek legal remedy says Telangana minister on NGT case;Cong wants him to step aside as minister

Telangana municipal administration minister K T Rama Rao has said the case against him in the National Green Tribunal, which has ordered a probe into a plea over an alleged illegal construction of a farmhouse by him, is a "deliberate vilification campaign" and he would seek legal remedy. Rama Rao, son of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, said he has already clarified that he does not own the property.

"The NGT case filed against me by a congressman is a deliberate personal vilification campaign based on utter false statements. It remains a fact that I don't own the property as clarified by me earlier.I will seek appropriate legal remedies by exposing falsehood of allegations," Rama Rao tweeted.

Meanwhile, the Congress demanded that Rama Rao step aside as minister following the National Green Tribunal ordering a probe into the plea. "Since the National Green Tribunal gave an order that inquiry be conducted by officials of your department, I submit that it would be morally appropriate to step aside.

Congress party demands that K T Rama Rao step aside as minister since an impartial inquiry would not be possible," state Congress president and MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy told reporters here. Congress Lok Sabha member A Revanth Reddy, who filed the plea, said Rama Rao should step aside as minister as an impartial probe cannot be carried out since seven officers, who are part of the inquiry team, work in his department.

On the plea filed by Revanth Reddy, a NGT bench, comprising Justice K Ramakrishnan and expert member Saibal Dasgupta, on June 5 issued notices to the Telangana government, K T Rama Rao, the state pollution control board, Greater Hyderabad municipal corporation and others while seeking their replies by August 26. The petition alleged that the Telangana chief minister's son expanded his farmhouse by violating environmental laws.

"We want to ascertain the present status of the constructions made and also we want to issue notice to the party respondents as well to know their stand on the question of constructions made in connection of the violation alleged in the application regarding violation, the government orders and also the environmental laws," the bench said in its order on June 5. The southern bench of NGT has constituted a committee to probe the plea.PTI SJR BN WELCOME BN WELCOME

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