Unprecedented: 106 govt staffers suspended for attending BRS candidate's meet in Siddipet

SIDDIPET: In an unprecedented move, Siddipet collector Manu Chowdhary has suspended 106 Telangana Government staffers including contract and permanent employees for attending a meeting hosted by BRS Medak Lok Sabha candidate P Venkatrama Reddy at the Reddy Sankshema Bhavan on Sunday night.

The suspended staffers were working for the Society for the Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS)- both which are wings of the District Rural Development Agency.

Of the 106 employees, 38 were working with the SERP while 68 were with NREGS. The suspended staff included assistant project managers (SERP), community coordinators, computer operators, technical assistants, field assistants, village organisation assistants and engineering consultants among others.

Medak Lok Sabha BJP candidate M Raghunandan Rao had filed a complaint with the returning officer over the violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), upon which an election flying squad was dispatched to the venue.

The flying squad found 10-15 persons in the meeting at around 10 pm. They collected the CCTV footage from the function hall.

The attendees of the meeting were identified through CCTV cameras and suspended. BRS leaders Venkatrama Reddy and Mareddy Ravinder Reddy were also booked by the Siddipet II Town police for conducting an unauthorised meeting without obtaining any valid permission and for violating the MCC.

According to the police, Venkatrama Reddy was charged under Section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 171 (b) (bribery) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

“During the elections, holding meetings with Government employees to lure them for votes is an offence. This was noticed by the flying squad members,” police informed.