Kakinada: Tourism and Cinematography minister Kandula Durgesh said state government is viewing the burning of documents related to Polavaram project at Dowleswaram seriously.
He said East Godavari district joint collector will conduct a detailed probe into the burning of papers. “Culprits will be given stringent punishment,” Durgesh said.
He suspected that some officials may have burnt the documents to cover up their irregularities.
The minister, along with joint collector S. China Ramudu, superintendent of police D. Narasimha Kishore and in-charge Rajamahendravaram revenue divisional officer (RDO) K.L. Siva Jyothi visited on Sunday the Polavaram project office, where the papers had been burnt.
Joint collector China Ramudu said a detailed inquiry will be carried out into the burning of papers relating to Polavaram project. He said there is a procedure in case old files are being disposed of. It will be checked whether or not staff followed such procedures.
“it will be verified if there is any negligence of higher officials. If officials are found liable, criminal action will be taken against them, the joint collector underlined.
SP Narasimha Kishore said the files had been burnt on Saturday afternoon. He said a DSP had inspected the place and found that the files had been burnt along with garbage nearby the office.
Minister Durgesh found fault with RDO Siva Jyothi’s comments that only Xerox copies of the documents had been burnt. He instructed the joint collector not to protect or save persons who are liable for burning of the Polavaram project documents.
