In an unprecedented decision, the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday suspended as many as 13 employees of Kanaka Durga temple atop Indrakeeladri hill in Vijayawada on charges of grave irregularities in the temple administration.
Orders to this effect were issued by Commissioner of Endowments P Arjun Rao. All the 13 suspended employees belonged to seven different departments in the temple, where grave irregularities were found during the raids by Anti-Corruption Bureau.
It may be mentioned that the ACB had conducted raids on the temple offices and residences of the employees for three days between February 18 and 20 and discovered several malpractices in various wings.
The authorities noted that crores of rupees were swindled in darshan ticket sales, saree and photograph sales, store keeping, Anna Danam, leasing of shops, supervising and prasadam wings.
However, Kanaka Durga temple executive officer M V Suresh Babu said the ACB conducted searches following false complaints by some staff and contractors in collusion with some political parties.
Meanwhile, Telugu Desam Party MP from Vijayawada Kesineni Nani alleged that the government was trying to wash off its hands by suspending a few lower-rung employees in the Kanaka Durga temple.
He said the real culprits were endowments minister Vellampalli Srinivasa Rao and the executive officer. He demanded that Vellampalli be sacked from the state cabinet.
