Agencies go after corrupt in Andhra

Corruption and tax evasion suddenly entered the state government's agenda in Andhra Pradesh, yet another sure indication of fresh elections anticipated.

The government's vigilance department claims that doctors, lawyers and actors topped the list of professional tax evaders in the state. Less than 10 per cent of the 15,000 lawyers in Hyderabad pay taxes.

The vigilance department has written letters to the bar associations, the movie artistes associations, and the Indian Medical Association asking them to tell their members to pay professional tax regularly.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau this week arrested an executive engineer, N. Venkateswara Rao, of the Pulivendula branch canal division in the Cuddapah district while taking a bribe of Rs2,000.

On Thursday an executive engineer of the tribal welfare department in Araku, K. Ashok, was arrested for owning assests disproportionate to his known sources of income.