BENGALURU: In a shocking revelation, three out of the four floors of Mapana Soudha, the administrative office of the Legal Metrology Department on Ali Asker Road remained locked on Monday, during a surprise inspection by Lokayukta Justice BS Patil and Upa Lokayuktas Justice KN Phaneendra and B Veerappa. Even the Controller of the Department arrived at his office only at 1 pm, while the offices of the Assistant Controller and Inspectors were closed until 2.50 pm.
“The officers responsible for regulating weights and measurements and safeguarding the interests of consumers and traders are conducting themselves in this manner. There is no attendance register or movement registers to prove that absent officers are on the field. We have visited several other offices in the recent past but this is the worst-managed office so far,” Upa Lokayukta Justice Phaneendra said.
Justice Patil added that when questioned about their work, officials failed to produce records of cases, fines, actions taken and proceedings initiated. “If this is the situation, we will take stringent action,” he warned.
Echoing the same, Upa Lokayukta Justice B Veerappa said they have video-recorded the situation in Mapana Soudha to ensure accountability and build a foolproof case against erring authorities.
On Monday, 40 teams of judicial and police officers conducted surprise checks across locations, including Mapana Soudha on Ali Asker Road, Hoskote, Doddaballapura and Devanahalli.
When questioned about his absence, the Controller claimed he had been to meet the Secretary of the Department. Other officers replied that they were not given sufficient staff like Group D personnel to keep the offices open when they go outside.