VIJAYAWADA: Cracking the whip on alleged corrupt practices of the employees of the Kanaka Durga temple in purchasing mementos for presenting to cultural troupes who performed during the recent Dasara festivities, temple Executive Officer V Koteswaramma on Sunday gave oral orders suspending two officials and sacked a contract employee.
The suspended officials included Assistant Executive Officer (AEO) S Achyuth Ramaiah and record assistant Sunitha. Contract employee Sk Syeda was removed from service.According to sources, Koteswaramma initiated an inquiry after a woman belonging to a cultural troupe complained to the Chief Minister’s Office about the alleged irregularities by the temple authorities in procurement of mementos. After examining the records, it came to the notice of the EO that Achyuth Ramaiah and Sunitha signed bills for purchase of 2,000 mementos as against 1,200 required to be presented to the cultural troupes.
Soon after the suspension, Achyuth Ramaiah had a heated argument with the EO in her chambers protesting the action against him. He contended that he was made a scapegoat. “I am going to retire in a month and I am not involved in any irregularities during my 30 years of service in the temple. A detailed inquiry should be conducted into the issue and necessary action initiated against the guilty,’’ he demanded.
Koteswaramma, however, contended that she acted based on the complaint and she had no intention to make the AEO a scapegoat.
It may be recalled that with no funds coming from the State Government for this year’s Dasara festivities, the temple EO had instructed officials to cut down on the cost of arrangements. The nine-day Dasara celebrations were conducted at an estimated cost of ` 8.6 crore as against ` 16 crore spent for the same in 2017. The authorities used temple’s capital fund and donations made by devotees and philanthropists for the nine-day celebrations.