BENGALURU: A surprise visit by Lokayukta teams to BBMP offices on Friday evening revealed some shocking facts. Upa Lokayukta Justice B Veerappa found the son of a Palike employee working on behalf of his mother to help her as she was not coming to office.
When Justice Veerappa enquired Naveen, son of Kavitha – a Second Division Assistant attached to the office of Assistant Revenue Officer (ARO) at South End Circle – he told the Upa Lokayukta without any hesitation that he was working on behalf of his mother to avoid any inconvenience to the public. Naveen was defending his work in the absence of his mother as if he were a gazetted officer, Justice Veerappa told the media.
He said this is a sorry state of affairs at BBMP offices. It is unfortunate that the son obtained credentials like the login ID and password of his mother, enabling him to work inside the BBMP office. Besides, ARO Sujatha hired a person by paying Rs 10,000 a month to work at the office without any authority. “This shows the anarchy at BBMP. We will summon BBMP chief Tushar Girinath,” he said.
Sources said Lokayukta officials filed a complaint with Siddapura police against all the accused for impersonation and other charges and Naveen too was secured by the police.
Lokayukta Justice BS Patil, Upa Lokayuktas Justices K N Phaneendra and B Veerappa and their teams comprising judicial and police officers made a surprise visit to 54 offices simultaneously in eight zones of BBMP. The Lokayukta had also received complaints of corruption and nepotism against revenue officers and assistant revenue officers in relation to e-khatas and inaction on the part of executive engineers and assistant executive engineers against unauthorised constructions.
Justice Phaneendra also quizzed the officials for dereliction of duty and lack of accountability in the assistant revenue offices at Chamarajpet, Vasanthanagar and Shivajinagar. Justice Patil, who visited the ARO offices in Hebbal sub-division, found only three staffers at the office as against attendance marked by 21 staffers.