GOVERNMENT OF ANDHRA PRADESH                                                         

 ABSTRACT:

 

Municipal Administration and Urban Development  Department – Municipalities – Proddatur Municipality – certain allegations against Smt P.Savitri, Chairperson, Proddatur Municipal Council – Removal from Office – Notification – Issued.

 

 Municipal Administration and Urban Development ( ELECTION –I) Department

 

G.O.Ms.No. 393                                                                         Dated: 24 -09-2004

                                                                                                    Read the following:-

 

1.      From the Director of Municipal Administration, A.P Hyderabad. Lr.Roc.No.8135/

2002/Ele-2, dt.01-11-2002.

2.      From the Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration, A.P Hyderabad.

Lr.Roc.No.8135/2002/Ele.2, dt.21-07-2004.

3.      Government Memo.No. 22749/Ele.I/2003-4 M.A. dt.29-07-2004.

4.      Explanation of the Chairperson, Proddatur, Municipal Council. Dt.15-08-2004.

5.      From the Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration, A.P Hyderabad.

Lr.Roc.No.8135/2002/Ele.2, dt.08-09-2004.

 

                                                   ***

 

                         It has been  brought to the notice of the Government that                          Smt. P. Savithri, Chairperson, Proddatur Municipality, committed the following irregularities and misused  the  Municipal funds :-

 

(a)   The Regional Center for Urban and Environmental Studies, Osmania University, Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad has proposed to conduct orientation training programme on SJSRY from 18.10.2001 to 20.10.2001 at Hyderabad for Women Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons, but the said training programme was postponed to 3.12.2001 to 5.12.2001 and the fact was informed to the  Chairperson.  But, She has drawn advance twice a Rs.10,000/- every time on 18-10-2001 and 3-12-2001,  without placing the matter before the Council, towards TA & DA to attend the above training at Hyderabad. As per the G.O.Ms.No.52, H.M.A&U.D (ELE.1)Dept. Dt.27-1-1988,  the Chairperson is eligible for TA @ Rs.24 paise per KM and  DA @ Rs.8/- per day or actual train fare whichever is less. Therefore the Chairperson, Proddatur is eligible for only Rs.245/-  (Rs.221/- for TA + Rs.24/- for DA) towards TA and DA for the said programme.  She has not even accounted for the advance drawn so far.   Thus, she has misused her powers and drawn advance TA twice for the same purpose against the rules and misappropriated the amount.

 

(b)     Smt. P. Savithri, Chairperson, Proddatur Municipality has drawn an amount of    Rs.10,000/- on 12.2.2002 from General Funds for inviting the elected representatives personally on the occasion of launching of DFID Programme.  There is no provision in the Act to draw funds from the Municipal General Funds for inviting the elected representatives to such functions.  She has not even accounted for the amount drawn so far.  Thus she has misused General Funds to a tune of Rs.10,000/-.

 

(c)   Smt. P. Savithri, Chairperson, Proddatur Municipal Council has been using her own vehicle No. AP 04-A3947 and she is being paid Rs.1000/-(Rupees one thousand) per month from the municipal funds towards conveyance allowance as per rules.  In addition to this, she has also drawn an amount of Rs.1,32,725/- towards diesel bills right from December, 2000 to October, 2002, which is against the rules.                                                                                                               

 

(d)         As per G.O. Ms. No. 686, MA, dt. 31.10.1983 the Chairperson is eligible for a minimum of 200 calls per month in respect of residential telephone,  but   Smt. P. Savithri, Chairperson, Proddatur Municipal Council has incurred an amount

  PTO

                                                                ::2::

 Rs.74,079/- towards residence telephone bill from the Municipal General Funds from   01.04.2000 to 31.05.2004  against  the rules.

 

2.       The Government have  issued  a show cause notice on .29-07-2004  under sub-section (2) of section 60 of the Andhra Pradesh Municipalities Act 1965  to Smt. P. Savithri, Chairperson, Proddatur Municipality, to explain within (15) days from the date of receipt of the Memo, as to why action should not be taken against her by removing her from office of Chairperson under  sub section (1) of section 60  of the aforesaid Act for the above said reasons.

 

3.         Smt P.Savitri, Chairperson, Proddatur, Municipal Council, in her letter  4th read above  has given  the following  explanation:-

 

(a)she has drawn Rs.10,000/- to attend the training programme at Hyderabad as per the orders of Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration, Hyderabad at the instance of G.China Babaiah, Dy.Project officer and that she asked him to obtain Council Sanction and that she did not take the amount of Rs.10.000/- for the second time  and that she did not account for the amount as no staff member has told her to do so.

(b) she has stated that, it is not true to say that she had drawn an amount of Rs.10.000/- for DFID inaugural function and that she had already asked the Regional Director-cum-Appellate Commissioner of Municipal Administration, Anantapur to take action against the Concerned in this regard.

(c) She has also stated that the allegation on the drawing of diesel for the period from December, 2000 to October,2002 for her own  Vehicle No.A.P 04-A 3947 is not true and that the said Vehicle along with license was seized by police on 02-04-1997 and the license has not yet been restored so far, and that the relevant copy of the Court case was enclosed to the explanation.

(d)The Chairperson while admitting that she was eligible for only 200 calls for residence phone, the officers did not bring the bill particulars to her notice at the time of payment of the phone bills, and that she never used the phone for her personal calls and she incurred only Rs.1481/- per month on average which is very low when compared with Chairpersons of other Municipalities.

 

 4.        The Government have examined             the explanation of Smt P.Savitri, Chairperson, Proddatur, municipal Council, on the above allegations and have came to the conclusions as indicated below:   

 

(a) The explanation submitted on the allegation(a) in para (1) above is contrary to her written statement given earlier during the enquiry conducted by the Regional Director-cum- Appellate Commissioner of Municipal Administration, Anantapur and in her written statement dt.18-07-2004.  She has stated that though she has requested the Municipal Commissioner, Proddatur, to draw an amount of Rs.10,000/- towards T.A&D.A to attend the Orientation Programme to be held from 18-10-2001 to 20-10-2001 and from 03-12-2001 to 05-12-2001 by Regional Center for Urban and Environmental Studies, Osmania University Hyderabad, the said amount was not paid to her and she attended the said two Programmes, but the Chairperson, in her explanation, has stated that she had taken an amount of Rs.10.000/- only instead of Rs.20.000/- towards T.A&D.A to attend meeting and asked the Deputy Project Officer to obtain Council approval and  she did not

 

     Contd..3

 

 

                                                                   

 ::3::

 

account for the amount as no staff has told her to do so and that  the explanation submitted by her to this allegation is not convincing and deserves no consideration.

(b)  During the enquiry conducted by the Regional Director-cum-Appellate Commissioner of Municipal Administration, Anantapur, the Chairperson, Proddatur has informed that an amount of Rs.10.000/- which was drawn from the A.P.U.S.P funds on 12-02-2002 was received by her. but the Chairperson, in her explanation denied the allegation (b)at para (1) above .  Hence the explanation is not convincing and deserves no consideration; 

(c)   The diesel bills paid to I.O.C Dealer, Proddatur from December 2000 to October 2002 pertains to Vehicle No.A.P04A- 3947 which relates to Sri Chinna Subbarayudu, Husband of  Smt P.Savitri, and  in connection with using vehicle bearing No.AP-04 3947 which pertains to her husband by using Municipal Funds for payment of diesel bills to IOC dealer, Proddatur and also taking conveyance allowance from December, 2000 to October, 2002 is highly irregular and gave wrongful statements/ explanation at different times to misguide the officials and Government.  Therefore it is decided that Smt. P.Savitri, Chairperson, Proddatur Municipal Council has abused her position and misutilised  the powers vested and hence the explanation to the allegation (c) in para (1) above  is not convincing.

(d) The explanation submitted by the Chairperson, Proddatur, Municipal Council, to the allegation(d) in para (1) above  is considered since the Proddatur Municipality has not maintained any register in this regard;

 

6.       Now, the Government, after careful examination of the material available with them and taking into consideration of the explanation submitted by Smt P.Savitri, Chairperson, Proddatur, Municipal Council, have decided to remove her from the office of Chairperson, Proddatur Municipal Council under sub-secton(1) of Section 60 of the Andhra Pradesh Municipalities Act, 1965 for the above irregularities, abused her powers as Chairperson, and disobeyed the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Municipalities Act 1965 and the  Government orders,

     

7.      The Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration, Andhra Pradesh shall take necessary action accordingly.                                                                                        

 

8. The following Notification shall be published in the extraordinary issue of the Andhra Pradesh Gazette dt. 25.9.2004.

 

                                                NOTIFICATION

 

            In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 60 of the Andhra Pradesh Municipalities Act,1965, the Governor of Andhra Pradesh hereby removes Smt P.Savitri, from the Office of the  Chairperson, Proddatur Municipal Council, for misusing of Municipal funds, abused her powers as Chairperson,  disobeying the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Municipalities Act 1965 and the  Government orders, with effect from the date of Publication of this notification in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette.

 

(BY ORDER AND IN THE NAME OF THE GOVERNOR OF ANDHRA PRADESH)

 

                                                                                                S.R.RAO

                                                                PRINCIPAL SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT

 

To

The Commissioner, Printing Stationary and Stores Purchase, Hyderabad.

 

                                                                                                                                    Contdd.4

 

                                                     ::4::                 

 

Smt P.Savitri, Chairperson, Proddatur, Municipal Council.

 (through Commissioner and Director of Municipal Adminsitration, Hyderabad.)

The Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration, Hyderabad.

The Commissioner, Proddatur, Municipality.

The Regional Director-cum-Appellate Commissioner of Municipal Adminsitration,.          Anantapur.

Copy to:

The Law(A) Department.

SF/SC

 

                                                //FORWARDED  BY ORDER//

 

 

 

                                                                                                SECTION OFFICER

           

                                                                                                          

 

                                                             

 

 

 

                                                                        .