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A complaint has been lodged against Chitekala Salomi, a member of the District SC/ST Vigilance & Monitoring Committee in Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh, alleging misuse of her official position. The complaint, submitted by the SC ST Rights Forum to the District Collector of Nandyal, seeks disciplinary action against Salomi and calls for an inquiry into her caste status by the District Level Scrutiny Committee (DLSC).

The allegations stem from a letter Salomi reportedly sent on 16 July 2024 to the Mandal Parishad Development Officer (MPDO) of Bandi Atmakur Mandal, Nandyal District. In the letter, Salomi allegedly warned that those obstructing the construction of a church on agricultural land would face criminal charges under the SC ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The SC ST Rights Forum claims that this intervention was out of Salomi’s purview and constitutes a misuse of her position to favor a specific group.

The construction in question involves a church initiated by the Hosanna Ministries Society on agricultural land at Survey No. 433-1, without the necessary permissions. The complaint references the Andhra Pradesh Agricultural Land (Conversion for Non-Agricultural Purposes) Act, 2006, and the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Department’s G.O M.S No. 376 (2012), which mandates District Collector approval for religious constructions. Local residents had raised concerns with the Gram Panchayat, opposing the alleged illegal construction.

Additionally, the complaint highlights potential issues regarding Salomi’s caste status. It suggests that she may be a practicing Christian while holding an SC caste certificate, which could violate the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order of 1950, and a 2016 Supreme Court judgment. According to the order, a person who professes a religion different from Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism cannot claim Scheduled Caste status.

The SC ST Rights Forum has called for a thorough investigation into these allegations and appropriate disciplinary action against Salomi if the claims are substantiated.

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The post Andhra Pradesh: Complaint Filed Against SC/ST Vigilance Committee Member Chitekala Salomi For Alleged Misuse Of Position For Construction Of Church appeared first on The Commune.

The DMK government had announced that ₹4,000 would be distributed as COVID relief. The first installment of ₹2,000 has commenced across Tamil Nadu. For this purpose, tokens are being issued by ration shops for people to collect money on the date allotted.

According to records, about 4,02,854 family cardholders are to be provided relief of ₹2,000 each through 829 ration shops in the Sivagangai district. ₹80.57 crores have been allotted to the Sivagangai district for this.

In light of the situation, a shocking revelation showed that some of these beneficiaries also included family cards that have been cancelled in the past and those of the deceased.

As per reports, several lakhs of rupees have been misappropriated. Following this, a demand has arisen that the District Collector should conduct a proper investigation and take action.

(With inputs from The Hindu Tamil)

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The post Dead people and cancelled ration cards included for COVID cash relief in Sivaganga appeared first on The Commune.