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16 officials at Vijayawada's Kanaka Durga temple suspended after irregularities
Temple executive officer served the suspension orders on the officials working in various capacities in the temple administration.
The Andhra Pradesh government on Tuesday suspended as many as 16 officials at Sri Durga Malleshwara Swamy temple, popularly known as Kanaka Durga temple in Vijayawada city of Krishna district, for allegedly indulging in irregularities in the temple management.
Temple executive officer MV Suresh Babu served the suspension orders on the officials working in various capacities in the temple administration, including six superintendent-rank officials, following communication from Special Commissioner of Endowments P Arjuna Rao.
Kanaka Durga temple, located atop the picturesque Indrakeeladri hill on the banks of Krishna river in Vijayawada, is one of the most popular temples in the state.
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The suspension orders were served based on a preliminary report submitted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, which conducted a series of raids on the temple for three days from February 18 to 20. “The suspension was done following instructions from the government,” Babu said without elaborating further.
The suspended officials include superintendents working at Annadanam (food serving) wing, stores department, housekeeping department, lands and shops management wing and those who manage various other wings related to donations to the temple, besides employees working at darshanam ticket sales counter, prasadam (food to be distributed among devotees after being offered to the deity) counters, the department that auctions sarees offered to the deity and even the wing that sells pictures of the temple and the Goddess.
An official from the state endowments department familiar with the development said the ACB, during its raids, detected large-scale malpractices related to the lease of temple lands and shops, food servicing, sale of darshanam tickets and auction of sarees.
“This is for the first time that so many employees, including senior officials, were suspended from services in any major temple in the state,” the official said.
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 and sparing the real culprits.
He demanded that the government should sack endowments minister Vellampalli Srinivasa Rao and held him responsible for the corrupt practices at the temple.
