BENGALURU: Considering the complaints of corruption, favouritism, nepotism and maladministration seriously, the Lokayukta, Upa Lokayukta and judicial officers conducted simultaneous raids on 45 offices of revenue and town planning departments of BBMP across the city on Thursday.
During the raids, unaccounted cash, and irregularities and procedural lapses were detected in the Palike offices, according to sources.
In a first-of-its-kind operation, Lokayukta Justice BS Patil and Upa Lokayukta Justice KN Phaneendra, who planned it, paid surprise visits to some offices.
Sources said BBMP offices in Bengaluru East, Bommanahalli, Yelahanka, Mahadevapura, Malleswaram, Rajajinagar, Banashankari, Vijayanagara, Basavanagudi, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Yeshwanthpur and Dasarahalli were raided.
Thirteen judicial officers, seven superintendents of police, 19 deputy superintendents of police, 26 police inspectors and several policemen were part of the operation.
Cops from other districts part of operation
The Director-General of Police, Karnataka Lokayukta, and Inspector-General of Police, Karnataka Lokayukta, supervised the operation. Policemen from the offices of Lokayukta in neighbouring districts were also part of the operation.
Sources said the staff members of revenue and town planning offices allegedly demanded more than
Rs 50,000 as a bribe to issue a building work commencement certificate, completion certificate and occupancy certificate for each single-kitchen house. They also demanded bribes to issue khatha certificates, building plan approval and other documents. In view of the increasing number of complaints against the staff members of BBMP, the raids were conducted, sources added.