SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Hyderabad: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Ranga Reddy Range, conducted a surprise check at the LB Nagar Fire Station, located at Uppal Bhagath, Uppal, following allegations of irregularities in the processing of temporary firecracker shop licences.
During the inspection, ACB officials found that nearly 397 applications were received for temporary firecracker shop licences, of which 26 were pending disposal.
The prescribed online challan fee for issuing a temporary firecracker shop licence is Rs 500. However, allegations were made that applicants were being asked to pay amounts over and above the prescribed fee by officials of the fire station.
During the check, ACB officials noticed around 90 UPI transactions in the mobile phones of the staff, with individual transactions ranging from Rs.1,000 to Rs 4,500. The transactions were reportedly made during the preceding week.
The ACB is examining these transactions to ascertain their purpose, the persons involved and whether they were connected to the processing of licence applications. Officials are also looking into the reasons for the pendency of 26 applications and whether there were any undue delays in their disposal.
The ACB has appealed to applicants not to pay more than the prescribed Rs 500 online challan fee for temporary firecracker shop licences. It has also urged anyone facing demands for money beyond the authorised fee or experiencing unexplained delays in processing applications to report the matter.
SOURCE : SIASAT
