With a just a day left for the issuance of notification for the gram panchayat elections in Andhra Pradesh, state election commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar displayed his vengeance towards the Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
On Friday evening, Nimmagadda sacked two district collectors, a superintendent of police, two DSPs and five circle inspectors, who he alleged had failed in preventing irregularities in the local body elections in March 2020 and curbing incidents of poll violence.
The sacked officials include: Collectors of Guntur and Chittoor, Superintendent of Police of Tirupati (Urban), DSP of Palamaner and Srikalahasti and circle inspectors of Macherla, Punganur, Rayadurgam and Tadipatri.
Stating that their negligence in their duties was not tolerable, Nimmagadda said the SEC had transferred these officials in March, but the Jagan government had chosen not to act on the recommendation of SEC which was exceptionable in itself.
“Now that the decks have been cleared by the courts, the SEC requested the chief secretary to take action against the erring officials. But there was no response from the government,” he said.
Since the state government continued to be recalcitrant and intransigent, the Commission has no other option but to invoke the plenary powers vested with it to remove the tainted officers.
“They now stand removed and shall handover charge immediately and relieve themselves forthwith,” he said.
He asked the Chief Secretary to send a panel of 3 names of suitable officers in case of Collectors of Chittoor and Guntur Districts and for Superintendent of Police, Tirupati Urban. In the case of subordinate police officers, the DGP shall send a panel of names for replacement, he said.