MANDYA: Expressing serious concern over growing corruption in government departments, Upa Lokayukta B Veerappa said Karnataka has ranked fifth in corruption in the country and warned that failure to curb the menace could lead to dangerous consequences in the future.
Inaugurating a programme for hearing and disposal of pending cases from Mandya and Malavalli taluks at the Dr BR Ambedkar Bhavan in Mandya on Thursday, Justice Veerappa said corruption had spread across every department in the state administration.
The Upa Lokayukta was visiting Mandya district for the second time within a year to review pending complaints and cases. He expressed displeasure over the inability of district authorities to dispose of cases effectively.
“Merely giving assurances is not enough. Officials themselves must change,” he said, stating that government officials must use their authority to ensure justice for the public and discharge their duties responsibly and sincerely.
He said everyone, from ordinary citizens to senior officials, should work with honesty and good intent. “India stands at the 91st position among 140 countries in corruption rankings, while Karnataka is placed fifth among Indian states. Both officials and citizens must change to eradicate corruption,” he said.
Justice Veerappa revealed that 1,281 illegal or corruption-related cases had been detected across 16 districts in Karnataka. He warned officials to work honestly and with integrity, failing which action would be initiated against them.
Deputy Commissioner Kumar praised Justice Veerappa for his commitment against injustice and described him as a highly active and dedicated officer. He said Veerappa had disposed of nearly 30,000 cases during his judicial career and around 7,000 cases during his tenure in the Lokayukta institution.
Surprise inspection at Belur
Justice Veerappa conducted a surprise inspection at the Belur gram panchayat office in the taluk and reportedly uncovered several lapses in administration. He expressed anger against PDO Siddaraju and other staff members for failing to provide requested files and warned that a suo motu case would be registered against them.
The Upa L okayukta spent more than an hour inspecting records, and found irregularities in the maintenance of property and e-khata records. Officials were unable to provide proper details regarding layouts and encroachments, drawing sharp rebuke from him.
He also observed apparent tampering of registers and noted that the PDO had not signed registers since October 2025. Justice Veerappa directed officials to issue notices to officials who fail to make themselves present even during the Lokayukta’s visit.
Questioning the absence of the zilla panchayat deputy secretary and executive officer during the inspection, he slammed higher officials for failing to monitor the functioning of the gram panchayat.