Former Minister N. Amarnath Reddy demanded that Forest Minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy clarify what steps he had initiated to check the red sanders smuggling from the Seshachalam biosphere spread over undivided Chittoor and Kadapa districts.
Speaking to the media at the TDP office here on Saturday, the former Minister alleged that the red sanders wealth in the two districts became a vital financial source for the YSR Congress Party leaders, and the ill-gotten money from the smuggling of the precious wood was being used for the elections.
During the TDP regime, a Red Sanders Task Force was set up, and it later became defunct. Though the Forest Minister hails from the Chittoor district, there were no tangible steps taken to contain the smuggling activity. “Unfortunately, the smugglers can get MLA tickets with the ill-gotten wealth,” he said.
