Telangana: Deduction of property tax from pension: Panchayat secretary suspended in Mancherial

Secretary Sandhyarani was suspended for using an elderly person's pension to pay property tax during a survey conducted in December to identify beneficiaries for the Indiramma housing scheme. The incident surfaced a few days ago, prompting officials to investigate the allegations in the presence of local villagers.

Mancherial: A panchayat secretary was suspended for deducting property tax from monthly pension of an old person at Namnur village in Hajipur mandal. An order to this effect was issued by Collector Kumar Deepak late on Thursday evening.

Secretary, Sandhyarani, was suspended for using the pension amount of a old person to pay the property tax, during a survey meant for identifying Indiramma housing scheme beneficiaries conducted in December. The incident came to light a few days back. Officials made inquiries into the allegations levelled against the secretary in presence of villagers.

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On Thursday, officials of the district rural development organisation visited the village and paid the amount Rs 2,000 to Dori Chukkamma, a beneficiary of social security pension. They initiated action against the secretary based on findings of field inquiry. They instructed staffers of the department to take steps to prevent recurrence of the incident.

Former finance minister T Harish Rao slammed the government for deducting the property tax from the pension belonging to Chukkamma and others. He posted this on his X handle.