Dismissing the Telangana government's allegation that it has violated copyright laws in submitting data to the Centre for 'Ease of Doing Business' (EoDB) presentation, the Andhra Pradesh government today said the charge is baseless and slanderous.
"Their accusation has absolutely no basis. I would call this simple, pure slander. Nothing else, but slander. When we come to the material accusation, it says that we used the same notification number, we have copied.
"The point is that on June 10, 2016, the notification, it is given by the high court which is a common high court for both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. So, the notification number which is given by the high court, is applicable to both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh," Parakala Prabhakar, Adviser (Communications) to the AP government, said here.
"If Telangana cites that notification number, we also cite that notification number. Because, it's the same," he said.
In a fresh row between the two sibling states, the Telangana government yesterday accused Andhra Pradesh of violating copyright laws by reproducing their web designs and data formats that were submitted to the Centre for EoDB presentation.
Telangana also said yesterday that it filed a case with cyber crime cell against Andhra Pradesh alleging it has indulged in "plagiarism" by copying their web designs and data formats that were submitted to the Ministry of Commerce.
The AP official gave a point by point rebuttal to the Telangana government's charge.
Referring to the Telangana government's allegation that AP government has uploaded after June 30 and copied theirs, Prabhakar said his government has not uploaded anything after midnight of June 30.
"What we have done and what every other state does, if DIPP or World Bank asks for any clarification, we only give clarification.
"But, primary data is not uploaded after 30th June midnight, although there is a provision, because the DIPP has relaxed. Because, their servers have malfunctioned. But by then, we already completed all the 340 questions, we have given information," he said.
On Telangana's charge that typos are also similar,
Prabhakar said it's not a typo.
"The format says either filled or filed. Anybody who says filled is not copying you. Because, that is one option. There may be other states also which said filed. There may be some states which said filled...There is absolutely no basis for what they are saying," he said.
On Telangana government complaining to police on the matter, Prabhakar said "if the police really investigate" they will find what he said and that the case would be dismissed at that level.
Prabhakar alleged that Telangana Industries Minister (KT Rama Rao) is misled on the matter by his officers.
"If they really want to get to the bottom of it, then they will know. In fact, what I think is the minister of Telangana is ill-advised, ill-served by his officers. He is misled," he said.
Prabhakar asked how did Telangana get the information that AP government uploaded.
"Uploaded information is not in public domain. How did they get to know? They have to answer how they got the information," he said.
