Vemulavada, September 2, 2013: The Vigilance and Enforcement Department has found large-scale irregularities in the administration of the Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy Devasthanam in Vemulawada of Karimnagar district.

According to official sources, the Vigilance and Enforcement Department during its inspections had found that there were irregularities from 2010 to 2013 and served notices to the Devasthanam authorities. The Vigilance authorities have found irregularities in issuance of laddu prasadam tickets and resale of prasadam tickets by the staff. The Vigilance officials also stated that around 30 guest houses were allotted to the Devasthanam staff for residential purposes without the permission of Endowment Commissioner’s office. The agreements for licenses and leases that were allotted to different contractors during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 were not registered which resulted in evasion of the payable stamp duty and loss to the revenue of the government in the form of payable stamp duty, sources said. Besides, the Devasthanam authorities have not collected the bid amounts towards leases and licences on different items resulting in piling up of huge dues.

The authorities also resorted to re-allotment of certain shops to some existing lease holders though they were defaulters without going for open auctions and caused loss to the revenue of the Devasthanam and the government by violating the guidelines issued in circular vides No 9 dated April 24, 2010 by the Endowment Commissioner, official sources said.

Source: The Hindu, September 2, 2013