HYDERABAD: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government's promise for a transparent governance seems to be only on paper with city based RTI activists waiting for more than two months for an RTI reply on action taken against corrupt officials.

More than 15 months ago, Telangana general administration (vigilance & enforcement) recommended disciplinary action against 19 officers of Ranga Reddy panchayat office and Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) as their lapses led to construction of 244 illegal standalone buildings and unauthorised floors in 454 buildings close to city’s financial district, but no step seems to have been taken in the matter.

RTI activists - P Suresh and L Nagesh - sought reports of action taken against these officials involved in building scam in Manikondajagir and Narsingi panchayats located in Rajendranagar mandal from both panchayat raj and municipal administration departments, but have not received any reply so far.

“For over two months, I am still waiting for an RTI reply from panchayat raj department to my query on action taken on vigilance department’s list of 11 corrupt officers involving four district panchayat officers, four panchayat secretaries, one divisional panchayat officer and two extension officers named in their 34-page report,” said L Nagesh, RTI activist and Upa Sarpanch at Manikondajagir panchayat.

In the vigilance report (a copy of which is available with TOI ) submitted to the government with a list of 454 building irregularities, they listed 220 buildings constructed with one extra floor, 186 buildings constructed with 2 extra floors, 42 buildings constructed with three extra floors and 6 buildings were found to have constructed more than three extra floors - all during the tenure of these 11 officials.

In fact, HMDA too had its share of eight tainted officials with the vigilance department report nailing six assistant planning officers, one in-charge zonal officer and one junior planning officer for their lapses that led to construction of 244 illegal buildings and 454 building irregularities.

However, no concrete action seem to have been taken against them as the municipal administration department did nothing after issuing articles of charges through government orders (GOs) 309 to 315 way back in August, 2015.

“It was just an eyewash to protect these officials. Why it is taking more than 10 months for the state to take action against these eight officials involved in the building scam after their involvement is proved by the vigilance report?” asked P Suresh, who too has sought status on their punishment from the municipal administration department.

Meanwhile, ground reports claim that due to the delay in taking punitive action against tainted officials has emboldened real estate mafia with over 600 illegal buildings being under construction stages in Manikondajagir, Puppalaguda in Rajendranagar mandal and Bachupally, Nizampet and Pragatinagar in Qutubullapur mandal respectively.



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