Amaravati, Aug 19 (IANS): Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday suspended four employees in connection with the burning of documents related to the Polavaram project.

Taking serious note of the incident that occurred at the Polavaram Irrigation Project (Resettlement and Rehabilitation) office at Dowleswaram in East Godavari district, Collector P. Prasanthi suspended the four employees.

Senior Assistants K. Kanuka Raju, Karam Baby, Special Revenue Inspector Kalajyothi and subordinate Rajasekhar have been suspended for failing to follow the due procedure in destroying the photocopies related to the office.

Deputy Tahsildars A. Kumari and A. Satya Devi have been issued show-cause notices.

The staff working in the Left Main Canal wing of the office on Saturday allowed a sweeper to burn a bunch of 96 photocopies related to the project.

District Collector said the action was taken against the employees for destroying files without the prior approval of the project administrator, who is the head of the Polavaram Project (R&R) office.

Revenue officials lodged a complaint with the police against the staff responsible for burning the office files. The East Godavari police registered a case and launched an investigation.

Earlier, Tourism and Cinematography Minister Kandula Durgesh said that the state government has taken serious note of the burning of documents related to the Polavaram project. He said culprits will be given stringent punishment.

The minister, along with some officials visited the Polavaram project office. Officials said that there is a procedure to dispose of old files but the same was apparently not followed.

Some half-burnt papers were moved to the office. A Revenue Divisional Officer had earlier said that the employees found many photocopies and waste papers while shifting files from old cupboards to new cupboards.

The incident created a sensation in light of a similar incident reported last month at the office of Sub-Collector Madanapalle in Annamayya district where key files were gutted in a fire.

The TDP-led NDA government ordered a high-level probe into the incident following allegations that some leaders of the YSR Congress Party could be behind this to destroy evidence into the alleged irregularities committed during the rule of YSR Congress.