Telangana Government Halts Rs 100 Crore Donation from Adani Group Amid Allegations of Fraud
Hyderabad, November 25: The Telangana government announced on Monday that it would halt the Rs 100 crore donation from the Adani Group, which was intended for the development of the Young India Skill University. The decision comes in the wake of serious allegations of fraud against businessman Gautam Adani, as per reports from the United States.
The donation was initially promised by the Adani Group for the Skill University project, but following the allegations, the Telangana government, led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, decided to suspend the acceptance of the funds.
Reacting to the decision, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA T. Harish Rao strongly criticized the move, questioning the Chief Minister’s stance on the matter. Rao referred to a previous deal signed between the Telangana government and the Adani Group in Davos, which amounted to Rs 12,400 crore. He pointed out the inconsistency, asking, “What about the Rs 12,400 crore deal you made with Adani in Davos at a time when Rahul Gandhi has been demanding the formation of a joint parliamentary committee to investigate Adani’s alleged corruption?”
Harish Rao also accused Chief Minister Reddy of attempting to privatize the state’s electricity distribution companies (discoms) by handing them over to the Adani Group. He further alleged that the Telangana government had been overly accommodating to Adani, even during discussions of a massive 20,000-megawatt thermal plant project.
In response to the controversy, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy defended his decision, emphasizing the need to protect the integrity of the state government and avoid any damage to its image. “I and my Cabinet colleagues do not want to be involved in unnecessary discussions that would harm the reputation of the state government or my own. That is why, on behalf of the state government, our official Jayesh Ranjan wrote a letter (to Adani) to halt the donation,” Reddy stated during a press conference.
In the official letter addressed to Priti Adani, the chairperson of the Adani Foundation, Telangana’s special chief secretary Jayesh Ranjan explained that while the Young India Skill University project had recently secured income tax exemption, the government had decided to halt any donations in light of the bribery allegations against Gautam Adani.
Rao’s criticism of the decision to halt the donation was sharp, as he accused the Congress-led state government of making concessions to a “corrupt person” like Adani, even as it distances itself from accepting his contributions. He called for a cancellation of all existing deals between the state and the Adani Group, citing concerns over corruption.
The situation continues to unfold with growing political discourse and implications for the ongoing relationship between the Telangana government and the Adani Group.
