Hyderabad: Axe falls on another erring official in Manikonda

Manikonda: Cracking the whip against erring officials failing to perform duty well with vigor, the Ranga Reddy district collector has suspended a Town Planning Official of Manikonda Municipality for turning nelson's eye to unauthorised construction under his area of operation.

It is said that, after slapping a show-cause notice to T Santosh Singh on September 8, against dereliction in preventing identified unauthorised construction, the collector finally suspended him under Section 48 (3) of Telangana Municipalities Act 2019, on September 14 for committing negligence in discharging duty.

According to officials, of the nine cases of unauthorised construction in wards 6 and 5 carries three each, while ward 9, 3 and 8 carry each one which were identified by the authorities. While eight structures secured permission for a few floors, one in ward 9 doesn't have permission even for ground floor. It raised cellar+ two floors flouting municipal rules.

Said the letter signed by collector and district magistrate, Ranga Reddy, "While the official in his explanation clarifies that he is not the authority to take action against the unauthorised construction and neither has committed recklessness in his part of the duty, the collector found him negligent in preventing unauthorised constrictions in Manikonda Municipality and placed him under suspension, pending further inquiry into the matter."

It is pertinent to mention that only last month, the collector's wrath fell on a councillor of the municipality for allegedly misusing power. After serving a show-cause notice in an alleged temple demolition issue in Neknampur village, Gandipet mandal, the DC suspended the Congress councilor of ward 7, Bitlu Padma Rao for alleged misuse of power.

The DC's swift action sends a strong message and creates a fluatter among the Town Planning officials of Narsinghi, Shamshabad, Bandlaguda Jagir Municipalities and GHMC Rajendranagar where cases of unauthorised constriction are higher compared to other municipalities.

Expressing resentment over the ever-increasing instances corruption, the RIT activists felt that municipal officials, specially the Town Planning, at most places discharge duties with connivance of local leaders and allow unauthorised construction to share the booty, thereby burning a hole in the exchequer.

B V Seshagiri, advocate, socio-political activist and coordinator, Telangana State Anti-Corruption Team, said, "These tainted officials get back their jobs in a few months paying bribes. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) should raid the suspended officials and investigate disproportionate assets once they get caught or suspended from service. The bureau should also encourage citizens to come forward and report the corrupt practices of tainted officials."