Probe into fund misuse in collectorate drags on

Kakinada: The enquiry over misappropriation funds in East Godavari collectorate to the tune of Rs 10 crore still incomplete after six years, despite the timeframe stipulated by the government in the form of issue of two GOs citing the guidelines for such enquiries.

According to sources, two employees in the collectorate, a senior assistant and a typist, were placed under suspension in 2008, when the issue of misappropriation of funds surfaced. The sources also said half of this amount, about Rs 5 crore, was pertaining to sand auction funds and it was withdrawn in parts by forging the signature of the competent authorities.

The enquiry was entrusted to the then joint collector K Sasidhar. In the last six years the probe was left incomplete during the tenure of Sasidhar, Ahmed Babu, and Revu Mutyala Raj as collectors. Two GOs, issued in 1993 and 1994 fixed six-month time limit for completion of inquiries according to the quantum of funds misused.

Meanwhile, the two suspended employees were reinstated in the year 2009, as the time frame of six months for completion of enquiry had lapsed by then. When contacted, East Godavari joint collector and additional district magistrate S Satyanarayana said that as he had taken charge only recently, he was yet to get the details on the issue.