The Andhra Pradesh Lokayukta P. Lakshmana Reddy on Monday initiated action against the District Minority Welfare Officer (Deputy Collector) P. Padmavathi and eight other Revenue Department officials for issuing 26 bogus caste certificates between April 2013 and July 2016 in Unguturu mandal of West Godavari district.
In an order passed on Monday, the Lokayukta said stringent action should be taken against the offenders to stop such fraudulent caste claims in the future.
He said that based on a complaint by Epicherla Gangadhar of Nachugunta village in Unguturu mandal, alleging that some people belonging to the Backward Classes were being issued the ST certificates, the Collector, following an inquiry, submitted a report in September 2020 stating that First Information Reports were filed against all the persons who had fraudulently obtained the caste certificates.
The Chief Commissioner of Land Administration also submitted his report on 25.08.2021 informing the Lokayukta that charges had been framed against all the nine persons involved in the issuance of bogus certificates.
The officials involved in the scam and against whom action was initiated were: P. Padmavathi, B. Durga Prasad (MRI), P.B. Rajeswari (VRO), P. Tirumala Rao (Tahsildar), A. Krishna Jyothi (Tahsildar), K.V.S. Durga (I/c. MRI), Y.K.V. Apparao (Tahsildar), Y. Radhabhai (MRI), and J.N.V. Swamy Naidu (I/c VRO).
