Twenty ministers under Maoist threat

HYDERABAD: Inputs suggesting heightened threat to the lives of 20 ministers including transport minister and PCC president designate Botcha Satyanarayana, roads and buildings minister D Prasada Rao has led the state police to further tighten the security for the ministers.Though the alert, said to be issued by the Intelligence Bureau was passed on to the state police about five days ago, the State Intelligence officials faxed the alert to the ministers and this irked Botcha Satyanarayana who reportedly pulled up Additional DGP, Intelligence M Mahendar Reddy and expressed his displeasure over the manner in which the alert was treated by them.It is learnt that the threat to the ministers is linked to the ‘encounter’ killing of top Maoist leader Azad. Police sources told Express that all the 20 ministers along with the people’s representatives hailing from the districts along Andhra-Orissa Border were asked not to move in their districts without prior information to the police authorities.Intelligence officials further instructed the Personal Security Officers (PSOs) of these ministers to be on extra vigil, particularly when they are on the move.It is learnt that Satyanarayana and Dharmana Prasada Rao are on the top of the threat list.Many ministers including B Satyanarayana, who was recently appointed as Congress Pradesh Congress Committee president, came to know about the alert on Thursday after they came across a fax in their chambers. In fact, Satyanarayana visited his chambers for the first time after being appointed as PCC chief Furious over this, Satyanarayana is understood to have pulled up State Intelligence chief M Mahendar Reddy saying that despite serious threat to their lives, they sent a fax like a routine affair. ‘’Intelligence officials should have called us and informed. What is this business of sending a fax like a routine affair,’’ is what Satyanarayana is reported to have told Mahendar Reddy.He also expressed his displeasure over the functioning of the police officials.Following this, Mahender Reddy directed his subordinates to increase the security to all the ministers and also the legislators apart from asking the personal security officers to be on high alert.