In a dramatic incident at a government office in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, August 7, an official of the Andhra Pradesh Endowments Department barged into the office of her immediate senior and flung sand in his face, alleging workplace harassment on his part. CCTV footage showed Endowments Department Assistant Commissioner K Santi suddenly entering the office of Deputy Commissioner Pushpa Vardhan and throwing sand at him in the presence of a few colleagues who were already in the room. While Santi has alleged that Pushpa Vardhan has been mentally harassing her and other subordinates in the department over the past few weeks, Pushpa Vardhan denied the allegations, saying he has not interacted much with staff members since his recent posting.
Assistant Commissioner Santi alleged that Pushpa Vardhan had been “mentally harassing” her and other staff members by having news reports published on her work and calling for inquiries based on them, instead of confronting her directly. “Wherever I was carrying out evictions, inspections, or administrative work, he would focus on that and get articles published,” she said, adding that she would then have to send rejoinders and answer to higher officials.
Santi also alleged that Pushpa Vardhan had suspended officials without consulting her or following protocol, based on “personal grudges.” Pushpa Vardhan, who was transferred to Visakhapatnam about a month ago, had recently suspended the executive officer (EO) of Vizag’s Yernimamba Temple Srinivasa Raju, on charges of committing irregularities in hundi counting among others. Santi alleged that Pushpa Vardhan had been intruding in employee’s personal lives and harassing them. She claimed that she had complained to the Commissioner who called for an inquiry by the Regional Joint Commissioner. “We were both summoned, but he (Pushpa Vardhan) did not show up to the meeting,” she alleged.
Deputy Commissioner Pushpa Vardhan, who is also a member of the committee set up to probe the alleged irregularities in land records of MANSAS and Simhachalam temple trust, claimed that he had been involved in the inquiry works over the past month, and had not had a chance to become acquainted with his subordinates. “I haven't been in Vizag since July 14. There was no scope for me to even talk to anyone. I came to the office only on Thursday. She (Santi) barged into my office and within seconds, spilled sand on me and began to verbally abuse me using profane language,” Pushpa Vardhan alleged. He has now sought disciplinary action against Santi from the Endowments Department Commissioner.