Warangal Collector faces ire of MLAs, MLCs on housing scheme

Hard talk: Andhra Pradesh Endowments Minister J. Ratnakar Rao instructing District Collector K. Damayanthi at the District Review Committee meeting in Warangal on Monday.

WARANGAL: Cutting across party lines, MLAs and MLCs spewed fire on district Collector K Damayanthi for alleged irregularities in Indiramma Housing scheme at the District Review Committee (DRC) meeting here on Monday.

TDP MLA, E Dayakar Rao said his party lost confidence in the district Collector as she turned `indifferent’ to the complaints lodged by his party leaders. “The Collector can do nothing. An officer from Hyderabad should be appointed to inquire into the housing scandal” he demanded.

Mr. Dayakar Rao said the funds to the tune of Rs. 1.20 crore were misappropriated by the officials and Congress leaders and the district administration has failed to check. He demanded that entire information about the scheme from it inception till date be disclosed at the meeting.

Credibility

Congress party MLC Gandra Venkataramana Reddy too, targeted the Collector questioning the credibility of the report submitted by the district administration on housing scheme. “Is any review meeting taking place in any mandal? Are the figures being supplied by the officials true?” he questioned.

However, she exuded confidence during her replies to all the allegations. “I personally visited 120 Indiramma villages. I found irregularities in Mulug Ghanpur mandal and initiated action against 12 officials and Rs. 6 lakh. In every mandal, a social audit is ordered and State vigilance officials are involved in the whole exercise,” she explained. Flay target

Congress MLA Podem Veeraiah said the irregularities in housing scheme took place in Mulug Ghanpur mandal as the Congress and TDP leaders blackmailed and threatened the officials and grabbed the cement bags.

Endowments Minister and in charge of district, J Ratnakar Rao, Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah and Tribal Welfare Minister D S Redya Naik tried to pacify the MLAs who directed their tirade against the collector, but in vain.

MLAs – Mandadi Satyanarayana Reddy, Dugyala Srinivasa Rao, V Narender Reddy, K Laxma Reddy and MP B Vinod Kumar two joined in the verbal attack against the district Collector.