Tirupati GST Officer Suspended for ‘Spreading Hatred’ Against Amaravati

In a startling move, the TDP government in Andhra Pradesh has suspended a government official for posting pictures of flooding in Amaravati.

According to reports, Siddharthi Subhas Chandrabose serves as GST Assistant Commissioner (FAC) in the Tirupati Regional Audit and Enforcement Division of the Commercial Taxes Department. He reportedly shared images of flooded fields in Amaravati on Facebook, accompanied by a sarcastic caption: "This is our drone capital, this is our quantum valley. The city is supposed to get the biggest railway station and airport. Yet, just one spell of rainfall can completely inundate Amaravati."

In another post, he highlighted a news report on the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) constructing three reservoirs in Sakhumuru, Neerukonda, and Krishnayapalem, commenting sarcastically, “Would it not be better to build Amaravati only as a reservoir?” Both posts were shared on August 18.

The posts drew sharp criticism from the government, leading to a complaint against Chandrabose. Following an investigation, the TDP administration alleged that the GST officer was spreading false propaganda and suspended him on charges of fomenting “hatred against Amaravati.”

This incident has once again underscored the Chandrababu Naidu government’s intolerance toward dissent.

Reports of flooding in Amaravati are not new. Given the capital city’s proximity to the Krishna River, concerns over inundation have persisted for years.

Late on August 20, MAUD Minister P Narayana visited Amaravati to assess the situation which arose due to flooding caused by the Kondaveeti Vagu.

Accompanied by Amaravati Development Corporation CMD Lakshmi Parthasarathi, he inspected the affected areas around 1 am and issued orders to clear water stagnation in Kondaveeti Vagu.

While YSRCP leaders have repeatedly highlighted Amaravati’s flood vulnerability, the TDP-led government consistently denied that recent torrential rains caused significant waterlogging in the capital region.

Narayana attributed the stagnation in Kondaveeti Vagu to soil left uncleared during the construction of a bridge on the Vijayawada West Bypass (E-11 road) by the National Highways authorities. He claimed that the obstruction disrupted water flow, affecting only two villages, while rainwater in other areas drained within hours.

Although the Minister offered a technical explanation for the flooding, political observers and residents argue that he effectively acknowledged that Amaravati experienced severe inundation due to the rains.