Vijayawada: YSR Congress Party MLA Gopi Reddy demanded a CBI probe into the corrupt practices of Andhra Pradesh assembly speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao's family. Speaking to media here today, the MLA said that crores have been swindled in the name of mining and fodder and demanded a CBI inquiry into these matters.

Gopi Reddy accused the Speaker's family of using the Kodela Sivaprasad Tag (KST) for indulging in corruption. "They had divided government works into 72 categories and distributed tender forms only to the people who are favorable to KST. This was happening under the supervision of Kodela's son. In fact they have all formed a group and were quoting tender 25 to 30 per cent extra, on each tender" he said.

The YSRCP MLA said the government departments usually question the contractors if the quoted price was even 5 per cent extra, but in these cases there were no questioning. He expressed his surprise that there have been occasions where works have been started even before the tenders were allotted. The irrigation department was a clear example, wherein contractors, officials and political leaders have joined hands and hundreds of crores was siphoned off.

Similar was the case with fodder procurement. Kodela family had siphoned Rs 7 crores by purchasing grass from TDP cadre at the rate of Rs 20,000 per acre, Gopi Reddy alleged and asked the government to show the farmer who was into grass farming. "Kodela's daughter was using sailej machinery to cut the corn plants to the size of grass and was selling it to the government. In fact she was enjoying 50 per cent central government subsidy on this as well," he said.

Gopi Reddy said the sailej was not suitable as fodder for the cattle, but farmers were forced to buy the same. He said the corrupt practices of Kodela's family have grown out of proportion. The son and daughters have distributed government departments among themselves and were involved in corruption at every level. Kodela must be held responsible for his family's corruption, he added.