Former KMC chief, two assistant officials face action over salary irregularity
Khammam: The municipal commissioner of Khammam Municipal Corporation (KMC), Adarsh Surabi, has been directed to initiate disciplinary action against three senior officials, including a former municipal commissioner, for paying full salary to a senior assistant-cum-revenue inspector during his suspension period.
The move comes after a vigilance and enforcement officials’ inquiry into the issue found fault with IAS officer Anurag Jayanthi, the former KMC chief who is currently serving as Rajanna Sircilla collector, then assistant commissioner Malleswari and then manager Vijayanand, on clearing salary to the then suspended official K. Srinivas.
Issuing the order, secretary of Municipal Administration and Urban Development C. Sudarshan Reddy directed the director of municipal administration, N. Satyanarayana, to take up the issue on priority and sought an action taken report. The order was subsequently passed on to the KMC.
As part of the action, the KMC will revise the pay slip of Srinivas to recover the salary paid during the suspension. As per norms, only 50 per cent of the salary is to be paid during the suspension period.
In a memo, Roc. No. 445449/2022/C2, Satyanarayana, directed the KMC commissioner to furnish the name(s) of the drawing and disbursing officer who processed the salary during Srinivas’ suspension from 23.12.2020 to 22.01.2021.
The issue was brought to the notice of the vigilance and enforcement regional director of Warangal by junior assistant Izaaz Pasha, who was not paid when he was suspended for alleged misbehaviour.
Based on Pasha’s complaint, the officials undertook an inquiry in April 2021 and ascertained that Srinivas was paid his full salary of `63,682 during the suspension period, after perusing the suspension order, reinstatement order, appointment of inquiry officer, note files, salary bills, and abstract of the treasury bill register.
During the inquiry, two notices and six letters each were addressed to Jayanthi to depute two officers for explaining the events regarding pay. However, there was no response from the official concerned.
Officials found that Srinivas, despite being suspended, signed as the section clerk to claim his salary under a supplementary bill.
