Srilakshmi IAS - Is she really corrupt?

Srilakshmi, now the infamous IAS officer is in the limelight of both the Public and media. I have been reading all the media coverage since her name hit the headlines. Yet, one thing is not clear to me on going through all these reports. Was she corrupt? Or is it that she merely failed her duties as elite Indian Administrative Officer.

For sometime, the media in Andhra Pradesh is at war. This war is for the supremacy not for the public cause. Under the circumstances, truth is the victim. The version of a same story widely differs from one media (Eenadu and Andhra Jyothy one side) to another media (Sakshi on one side), depending on their vested interests, caste & political equations and sympathy towards the women officer.

There are many and wider corruption issues of YS Rajasekhar Reddy tenure being investigated by CBI. Urban Land scams, Development fund scams and mining scams are now top of the media attention. One side of the media is mixing up all these scams together to paint them under "Jaganmohan Reddy scams" banner

The mining scam is perhaps the biggest scam the is sending tremors both in the Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Already we have seen the former Karnataka Chief Minister, Yeddiyurappa going behind the bars. Karnataka Minister, Gali Janardhana Reddy the man at the epicentre of this scam has been counting his time behind the Chanchalguda (Tihar of Andhra Pradesh) jail in Hyderabad.

Srilakshmi the Senior IAS officer has been arrested (and subsequently released on bail) in connection with mining scam. This mining scam, for the purpose of understanding is to be divided into three key phases. Phase-1 is related to issuing the original mining licenses to Gali Janardhana Reddy's Obulapuram Mining Company, OMC (and perhaps a host of shadow companies). This was done during the regime of Chandrababu Naidu. As it stands, there seams to be no issue on granting these leases. The Phase-2 is about the extension of these leases to cover additional areas in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka Border. And finally, the big issues for which all the foul play is called, about the illegal mining (this is about mining at the areas where OMC should not have mined the iron ore and then not showing the mined ore in the official records. This amounts to tax evasion)

Now, Srilakshmi is focus of Phase-2. She was not in office during Phase-1 and then, she is nothing to do with Phase-3. Here comes the key question, is she corrupt or failed in her duty or she was coerced to signed the infamous GO?

Till now, there is no evidence to prove that Srilakshmi was benefited materially or otherwise by issuing the GO. No one is talking of her amassing illegal wealth (for example Jaganmohan Reddy or Chandrababu Naidu who are being investigated for this purpose by CBI). Did she failed in her duty? Being an intelligent officer - and then, having held several senior positions in the Government it is difficult to confirm either. This leads us to the final question, was she coerced? Though this is purely a hypothetical question yet, going the track record of Gali Brothers and their proximity to YSR this cannot be ruled out.

The theory that she was made a scapegoat does not hold a logic. The Congress government got the excellent opportunity to take on political rivals and I do not see why they should settle to less valuable target

Corrupt, disgraced and tainted have all together different meaning. It is Srilaksmi only who knows what is up to. For now, I think she is not corrupt!