ACB files cases against 12 town planning staff

Guntur: The Anti-Corruption Bureau officials booked cases against 12 town planning employees and nine licenced engineers and builders for cheating the Guntur Municipal Corporation to the tune of Rs 22 crore between 2013-15.

They booked cases under the of Prevention of Corruption Act. According to sources in the ACB, the 12 town panning employees including building inspectors of Municipal Corporation in association with the licenced engineers submitted fake challans to the tune of Rs 22 crore to the GMC for getting permissions for multi-storied buildings.

The scam was unearthed during GMC audit and informed the matter to the then GMC Commissioner K Kanna Babu, who informed the matter to the government. Later, Vigilance and Enforcement department officials also conducted inquiry and examined over 600 files in the GMC and submitted a report to the government.

The VE officials during investigation found that the licenced engineers and some builders submitted fake challans to GMC and they have paid cess in Andhra Bank. Based on the fake challans, the town planning officials sanctioned permissions for the construction of multi-storied buildings on single TDR bond to several buildings. Based on that the ACB officials inquired and booked cases.