Hyderabad: Panel stops transfer of scambuster

Hyderabad: The AP Administrative Tribunal has stopped the transfer of additional registrar of cooperative societies Dr N. Kiranmayee, who had unearthed scams at Filmnagar, TNGOs and other housing societies.

She had been shunted out to Warangal in a case pertaining to alleged bribes in the AP Cooperative Rural Irrigation Cooperation, where she was incharge MD, on the basis of a CD in which two officers had taken her name. Tribunal judicial member N. Janaki Rama Rao set aside Government Order No. 216 dated 24.4.2015 that transferred Dr Kiranmayee as member of the Warangal cooperative tribunal. The judge said, “...as the applicant (Dr Kiranmayee) was transferred on disciplinary grounds, which is punitive in nature, the impugned GO... is hereby set aside,”

The judge said the respondents — the state government, commissioner of cooperation and registrar of cooperative societies — and M. Surender, incharge commissioner and registrar of cooperative societies, were not precluded from transferring the applicant on administrative grounds and conduct of inquiry.

After Dr Kiranmayee exposed irregularities in Filmnagar, Jubilee Hills, TNGOs and other cooperative housing societies involving bigwigs, the Telangana Legislative Council last year appointed a House committee headed by the TRS’ A. Ramesh based on her reports. The inquiries are on. But Dr Kiranmayee was hounded by vested interests. She was transferred based on a CD where her name reportedly cropped up in an offer of bribe in the rural irrigation corporation where she was incharge MD.

Her name was mentioned in a discussion between two officials that was recorded on the CD. Her voice was not on the CD. Subsequently, she was shunted to Warangal and an inquiry was ordered, which is still pending. Congress MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, member of the House committee, and others took up her cause with the government.

Dr Kiranmayee filed a petition with the principal secretary, agriculture and cooperation department, seeking cancellation of the GO transferring her and action on a vigilance report on C.V. Ramesh Babu, executive engineer at the rural irrigation corporation, pertaining to various irregularities. She also listed harassment by some officers.

“I was made a scapegoat by some officers to tarnish my image and damage my career. I request you to cancel all the orders issued against me,” she wrote.

She pointed out irregularities in the special audit report including in drilling of borewells and installation of pump sets taken up by the head office in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts, irregularities in tenders for reverse osmosis plants, civil works relating to the Sri Venkateswara housing building society, irregular withdrawal of money relating to the false ceiling in the MD’s office, irregularities in promotions to staff in all cadres.

The Lokayukta in a complaint (No 2113/2014/B1, December 17, 2015), had ordered action on the findings of vigilance and enforcement report within six months.