Telangana government tries to rein in corrupt staff
Anti-graft toll free number set up by govt has received several complaints
Hyderabad: The Telangana State government is taking stringent measures to make corrupt staff fall in line after departmental action failed to curb corruption in its departments.
The government recently booked a criminal case against a special deputy collector for his role in illegal land dealings pertaining to a freedom fighter in Hayathnagar mandal on the city's outskirts despite stiff opposition from revenue staff.
The anti-graft toll free number set up by government has received several complaints against revenue, commercial taxes and transport department staffers. However, the TS Revenue JAC is up in arms against the government for booking a criminal case against Ramachandraiah, who is currently working as special deputy collector at Bhongir in Nalgonda district. The Vanasthalipuram police arrested him on September 7.
Police said Ramachandraiah had issued ownership documents in 2005 regarding 10 acres of land in Turkayamzal to the legal heirs of a late freedom fighter, Lingaiah, by violating rules. The government had allotted the land in survey number 52 to Lingaiah in 1960, but as he did not take possession of it, after three years, as per rules, the land again became government property.
The police complaint lodged by the Ranga Reddy district collectorate says that “In 2005, when he was the tehsildar of Hayathnagar, Ramachandraiah gave ownership documents of the land to the legal heirs of Lingaiah.”
“Making only the tehsildar responsible for this is unjust. The government should first order a departmental inquiry and based on that it should proceed. Where is the need for the government to file a criminal case against a special deputy collector and arrest him after 10 years? Let the departmental inquiry be held in a transparent manner first. The role of other officials should also be brought out,” said TS Revenue JAC co-chairman Shiv Shankar. Revenue department staff is planning to intensify pressure demanding departmental inquiries first before filing criminal cases against officials.