Hyderabad, Aug. 3 -- The Telangana Panchayat Raj department has uncovered a widespread scam involving 553 gram panchayat secretaries who allegedly uploaded fake photos to mark their attendance on the facial recognition app without being physically present for duty.

Following the discovery, 15 individuals have already been suspended, and show-cause notices have been issued to the remaining secretaries, with further action pending. This crackdown comes after minister Seethakka ordered a comprehensive statewide investigation into the matter.

The probe also revealed that several individuals had falsely recorded their attendance without reporting for duty.

Photo of CM Revanth Reddy misused

In a notable instance, a panchayat secretary ident...