HMDA Official Suspended for Fabricating Fake GO

Hyderabad: G. Ravinder Reddy, a senior assistant serving the Buddha Purnima Project Authority (BPPA), part of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), has been suspended. The suspension was ordered by the metropolitan commissioner of HMDA after Reddy was accused of creating and circulating a fabricated Government Order (GO) purportedly signed by the Chief Secretary on social media.

Ravinder Reddy, originally a senior assistant in the office of the collector of Kamareddy, was on deputation to the BPPA. He allegedly fabricated a fake GO numbered 1109, dated August 22, which claimed that Rangareddy district collector M.V. Bhoopal Reddy, who was recently arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly demanding and accepting bribes, was being transferred to the vigilance department.

A case was registered against Ravinder Reddy last month with the Saifabad police in the Central Zone, and he was subsequently arrested. The complaint was filed on August 24 by Radhakrishna, a section officer from the General Administration Department, after the fake GO was identified and brought to the authorities' attention.

On August 14, Rangareddy collector M.V. Bhoopal Reddy was arrested by the ACB for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹8 lakh for facilitating the removal of 14 guntas of land from the prohibited list on the Dharani portal.

Despite the gravity of the situation, BPPA officials did not inform the HMDA about the case involving Ravinder Reddy. It was only after he approached HMDA officials and reportedly pleaded guilty that the head office became aware of the matter. Following this revelation, HMDA placed him under suspension and informed his parent department, the office of the collector of Kamareddy.

The HMDA is now taking steps to address the issue and ensure that such incidents do not recur. This case has highlighted the need for stricter oversight and verification processes within government departments to prevent the circulation of false information and maintain public trust.