Former finance secretary and retired IAS officer Dr PV Ramesh, who had publicly questioned the arrest of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu by CID, resigned on Monday as a consultant from Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Limited (MEIL), a private firm which is executing large infrastructure projects in the state including the Polavaram Dam.
Ramesh, who was principal finance secretary during the TDP regime, not only negated reports that the former chief minister was arrested on the basis of his statements during an interview in a vernacular television channel but also pointed out that in case of a scam, it was the officials involved in the release of funds who should be held primarily accountable and not the chief minister who oversees numerous matters and departments.
He also expressed doubts that his statements to the CID might be twisted and raised concerns over the lack of original files in the case which have gone missing.
On Tuesday, Ramesh released his resignation letter to PV Krishna Reddy, managing director of MEIL on X, formerly Twitter. He, however, did not cite any reasons for his resignation and merely stated, “I am submitting my resignation from the service of MEIL effective September 11, 2023, for personal reasons. However, I will be available to provide any service that you may need at any time.”
Ramesh also denied that MEIL sacked him following his public statement on the case saying, “It is not correct to say that I have been asked to resign.”
However, the bureaucrat who has held several key portfolios such as health and finance in the state government also indicated that he had been pressurized to retract his statement on Naidu’s arrest by CID.
He took to X again saying, “My entire life, I have consistently and unambiguously worked for public interest beyond and above political, social, economic, commercial considerations. No one, not even God, can compel me to do anything contrary to the interests of people at large and against my conscience. [Sic]”