Hyderabad, Aug. 5 -- The Telangana Panchayat Raj department has ordered all district collectors to file criminal cases against Panchayat secretaries who register false attendance without reporting for duty.

The directive, issued on Monday, August 4, by the Director of Panchayat Raj, Srujana, mandated that cases be registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, as well as laws related to information technology, forgery, fraud, and cybercrime.

The order also states that disciplinary action will be taken against mandal, divisional, and district panchayat officers who fail to identify such fraudulent activities or are found to be negligent in their supervisory roles.

According to the department, disciplinary action has a...