The State government has issued charge memos to six executive officers who were at the helm of affairs at Saraswati temple at Basar since the past three years on charges of dereliction of duties.
The charge memos were issued after an inquiry ordered into their functioning found them guilty of negligence of duties. Endowments Minister A. Indrakaran Reddy was informed of this by the department Principal Secretary Shiva Shankar at a meeting convened to review the functioning of the department here on Friday.
The development is the result of the inquiry ordered by the Minister on the reported irregularities at Basar temple highlighted by a section of media. Endowments Department Joint Commissioner Krishnaveni, who conducted the inquiry, submitted the report to the Minister, who directed the officials concerned to ensure that funds, if any, misused by the employees would be recovered from them. The Minister asserted that none would be spared and disciplinary action would be initiated against the employees who were found guilty of irregularities. Mr. Indrakaran Reddy exhorted the officials concerned to complete the ongoing inquiries into the alleged irregularities reported from some temples within two months.
On the other issues, the Minister wanted the officials to take steps to expand the online services being offered at all major temples across the State. He wanted them to ensure that the department was made paperless with the introduction of e-office facility across different wings.
The officials informed the Minister that 5,289 applications were received from different temples for extension of Dhoopa Deepa Naivedyam scheme. Since the process of inclusion of all the temples would take time, the Minister said the officials could consider extending the facility to select temples, including those being run by tribals, from June 1.
