KCR takes charge of health portfolio, Eatala minister without portfolio

HYDERABAD: On a day of swift developments, Eatala Rajendar was on Saturday stripped of the health and family welfare portfolio. Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has transferred the portfolio to Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao with immediate effect.

The decision was taken on the advice of the Chief Minister, a release from the Raj Bhavan said. Consequently, Rajender is now minister without a portfolio.

Rajender, who represents Huzurabad constituency, is in the thick of a controversy over allegations of encroaching assigned lands in Achampally and Hakimpet villages of Masaipet mandal in Medak district for his poultry farms.

Rao had ordered a probe on Friday into the allegations against Rajender. Even as inquiry teams from Vigilance, ACB, revenue and survey departments were in Achampally and Hakimpet villages on Saturday, the decision to remove the portfolios from him was announced.

The decision shocked Rajender and his supporters, who questioned the logic behind the hasty move when the inquiry report was yet to be submitted to the Chief Minister.

Rao had ordered two simultaneous investigations by Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and Vigilance DGP Poornachander Rao into the allegations and had sought a preliminary report.

Official sources said that the preliminary inquiry report that was submitted to Rao by noon on Saturday and prima-facie had found that the allegations against Rajender were true.