The controversy over Naini coal block tenders in Odisha has triggered a major debate in media and political circles following allegations of manipulation in tendering process, conflicts of interest involving two senior colleagues in the Revanth Reddy cabinet, and the misuse of media platforms to settle business rivalries.
What is more interesting is that the controversy over Naini coal block tenders has been linked to the arrest of two NTV journalists on the allegations of carrying a defamatory report against a woman IAS officer, stating that she had illicit relationship with senior minister from Nalgonda – Komatireddy Venkat Reddy.
On Sunday, Radhakrishna, in his weekly column, carried a detailed account of the reasons behind the arrest of the NTV journalists.
According to the report, deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka sought to favour a company related to him to grab the coal block tender, in association with another firm owned by NTV chairman Narendra Chowdary’s son-in-law and Megha Engineering.
However, Radhakrishna said, Komatireddy strongly resisted the move of Bhatti Vikramarka to grab the tender, as he had been seriously trying to get the contract for Sushi Enterprises, a firm owned by his brother Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, which has all technical and financial qualifications.
It is at this juncture, the allegations claim, that NTV resorted to defamatory broadcasts aimed at discrediting Komatireddy and forcing him to withdraw his objections.
The channel aired sensational and allegedly fabricated stories linking Komatireddy to a women IAS officer. This led to the arrest of two NTV scribes.
Within hours of Andhra Jyothy’s report created tremors in the media circles, Bhatti Vikramarka called for a press conference and claimed that he had no role in coal block tenders; and that he failed to understand why Radhakrishna was targeting him.
In the evening, chief minister A Revanth Reddy, too, brushed aside the allegations against Bhatti and Komatireddy, calling upon the media not to drag his cabinet colleagues into the murky media war.
He even declared that the coal block tenders would be cancelled and fresh tenders would be called for.
What is surprising is that there has been no word from NTV management on the entire episode.
Though Radhakrishna directly named NTV Chowdary for carrying the report against Komatireddy because the latter had tried to stall the coal block tenders, there was no denial from Chowdary or his media team.
“Maybe, the channel management did not want to escalate the controversy further, as Bhatti has already given a clarification. Or maybe, there was a behind-the-screen lobbying by the powers-that-be to get the cases against NTV reporters dropped. In any case, NTV’s silence has given the impression that he has endorsed Radhakrishna’s revelations,” sources said.