Vigilance probe ordered into Simhachalam lands

VISAKHAPATNAM: Endowments principal secretary G Vani Mohan has ordered an enquiry by vigilance and enforcement department into the unauthorised deletion of large extent of lands from the property register of Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam, Simhachalam. Irregular sale of lands and other irregularities in MANSAS Trust, Vizianagaram by its then executive officer K Ramachandra Mohan will also be probed.

Endowments commissioner has been appointed as the nodal officer, and asked to extend all necessary support and provide required documents and materials belonging to the  Simhachalam temple and irregularities in the land matters pertaining to MANSAS Trust to the vigilance department. The department has been asked to submit its report within three months to the government with specific recommendations.
It may be recalled that a three-member committee constituted to enquire into the anomalies that took place during the tenure of Ramachandra Mohan as the executive officer of the temple and MANSAS Trust submitted its preliminary report on July 17.

The committee, comprising deputy commissioner E Pushpavardhan, regional joint commissioner Brahmaramba and additional commissioner Chandrakumarin, in the report said 862 acres were deleted from the property register of the devasthanam. It also found violations in 145-acre lands belonging to the trust. The report said the government incurred a loss of `70 crore as it got revenue only for 33.11 acres out of 54.70 acres. Instead of selling the entire 54.70 acres, only 33.11 acres were sold leaving the remaining for roads and other infrastructure. In such cases, land value should have been considered on square yard basis. 

Officials Suspended Based On Panel Report

On Friday, principal secretary (Endowments) G Vani Mohan suspended K Ramachandra Mohan, then executive officer of Simhachalam temple, and assistant executive officer N. Sujatha on the basis of a preliminary report submitted by a three-member committee