BENGALURU: Sleuths of the Karnataka Lokayukta, who carried out raids on multiple excise department offices across Bengaluru, have found a range of irregularities -- in issuing excise licences; appointing individuals illegally, who were paid by excise officials themselves; not maintaining cash and attendance registers; and officials remaining absent from work. The raids that were led by Lokayukta Justice BS Patil and Upa Lokayukta Justice B Veerappa on September 24.
During the raid at the Indiranagar excise office, the Lokayukta found files being managed improperly. It was found that there were 61 files with applications for excise licences under CL-2 (retail), CL-9 (bars and restaurants), CL-7 (hotels and boarding houses), which lacked any file numbers, note and final order.
A bag of ganja and liquor bottles were found at the Ramamurthynagar excise office, and the excise officials failed to produce any documents and crime numbers related to this. It was found that the excise officials had appointed private individuals illegally, who were being paid salaries to the tune of Rs 20,000 by the officials.
At the Koramangala excise office, an unidentified person is said to have run away with the attendance and cash register books. At the Yelahanka excise office, Excise Inspector Chandramurthy had signed in the attendance register but was not in the office.