The Andhra Pradesh government on Saturday suspended Katumala Vijay Kumar, a section officer in the state’s Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department, for providing incorrect information ahead of Friday’s cabinet meeting.
According to official sources, the cabinet agenda was supposed to include revised regulations requiring licences for the display of hoardings in cities and towns, under the title “The Andhra Pradesh Regulation and Control of Display Devices (Promotion of Products and Services) in Urban Local Bodies Rules, 2025.”
However, due to what officials described as negligence and dereliction of duty by Vijay Kumar, an unrelated presentation was circulated to the Chief Minister and ministers, causing confusion and inconvenience.
Senior officials immediately intervened, resubmitted the correct proposal on hoarding regulations, and obtained cabinet approval on the same day.
Taking serious note of the lapse, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Principal Secretary S. Suresh Kumar issued orders suspending Vijay Kumar, citing failure to discharge official responsibilities.
The suspension order stated that Vijay Kumar failed to comply with instructions from higher authorities regarding the preparation and submission of the Council of Ministers’ agenda item.
“The section officer submitted an incorrect and irrelevant PowerPoint presentation to the Cabinet Section, leading to miscommunication and inconvenience to the Chief Minister and other ministers,” the order said.
It added that the officer’s actions amounted to serious dereliction of duty, gross negligence, lack of devotion to duty, and disobedience of lawful orders from superiors.