Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Friday, April 19, stayed the suspension of 106 government employees who were suspended for attending a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) meeting in violation of the Model Code of Conduct on April 7.
The court delivered the verdict in response to advocate R Chandrashekhar Reddy’s plea against the district collector’s action and postponed the further hearing to June 18.
The advocate argued in the court that the district collector has no authority to suspend SERP employees.
Siddipet District Collector Manu Chowdhary suspended the government staffers including contract and permanent employees for attending a meeting hosted by BRS’ Medak Lok Sabha candidate P Venkatrama Reddy at Reddy Sankshema Bhavan on Sunday night.
The Telangana government staffers were working for the Society for the Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS)- both wings of the District Rural Development Agency.
Of the 106 employees, 38 work with the SERP and 68 with NREGS. The suspended staff includes assistant project managers (SERP), community coordinators, technical assistants, computer operators, village organization assistants, field assistants and engineering consultants among others.
BJP candidate for Medak Lok Sabha segment M Raghunandan Rao filed a complaint with the returning officer over the violation of the model code of conduct, upon which an election flying squad was dispatched to the venue.
The flying squad found 10-15 persons in the meeting at around 10 pm. They collected the CCTV footage from the function hall.
BJP candidate for Medak M Raghunandan Rao also filed a complaint with the State Election Commission alleging a violation of the model code of conduct by the government employees.
The attendees of the meeting have been identified through CCTV cameras and suspended for violation of the model code of conduct which is in force.
BRS leaders Venkatrama Reddy and Mareddy Ravinder Reddy were booked by Siddipet II Town police for conducting an unauthorized meeting without obtaining any valid permission and for violating the MCC.
According to Siddipet II town police, Venkatrama Reddy was charged under Section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 171 (b) (bribery) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
“During the elections, holding meetings with government employees to lure them for votes is an offence. This was noticed by the flying squad members,” police informed.
