Lokayukta: honesty in policy

Dr. Prabhudev B Mane, DySP Karnataka Lokayukta, Udupi || Photo Courtesy: Suraj C.

Udupi: In an honest attempt to combat corruption, the highest complained-about vice of the Government, the Lokayukta Office (anti-corruption wing) was set up in Udupi in 2003. The existence of the office has been relatively unknown, though as a body, it has been very successful in dealing with every case brought to its notice.

Initially, the autonomous body, Lokayukta, was not given much importance and was staffed with just one Inspector and four Constables. In the first two years since its inception, no cases were reported. The first case was brought to notice in 2005 when a Kundapur Taluk official was caught demanding Rs. 500 for a survey. Since then, there has been no looking back for the office.

A total of nine cases have been registered till date, this year. In the first, a Taluk officer was caught demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs. 2000. In the second, a village accountant (VA) under Udupi Taluk accepted Rs. 1000 as bribe in a case concerning land records. Next, a VA under the Kundapur Taluk was caught giving money illegally to a family under the “Bhagyalakshmi” scheme of the state (wherein a family is given monetary benefits if a daughter is born to them). In another instance, the house of a forest ranger under Udupi Taluk wasraided in connection with a case of misappropriation of funds lodged against him. More recently, a surveyor in the Survey Department of Kundapur District
was caught red-handed while taking Rs. 1000 as bribe for a survey work.

The accused and arrested are booked under the Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) Act, which was passed by the Centre in 1988. A letter is sent by the Lokayukta to the State Government, which guarantees the suspension of the concerned official for at least 6 months. He/She is then produced directly before the Court and, if found guilty, is sentenced to a minimum of one year in jail, and to a maximum of seven. If the case is a raid case (when an official’s house is raided on account of records showing disproportionate assets), the Inspector Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) registers the case as Suo Moto.

Any member of the public who faces extortion or is asked for more money than legally needed for a Government job can approach the Lokayukta office. The DySP then sends plainclothes policemen along with the victim, and when the accused demands or accepts a bribe, they catch him in the act.

Corruption being high on the list of complaints against Government officials all over the country, this anti-corruption wing is a welcome change. The DySP of the Udupi Lokayukta office, Dr. Prabhudev B Mane said, “Such offices are everywhere, but the one in Udupi is quite new. We want to encourage more people to come forward to complain any such behaviour, so that it can immediately be brought to the State Government’s notice and action can be taken. We are in the process of putting up posters everywhere, and also visiting public places and schools and colleges to increase awareness about this office. We are encouraging people to unhesitatingly and fearlessly report cases of corruption. Only then can we see a marked improvement in the governance of the State, and gradually of the country.”

The Udupi office has 12 members in all; one DySP, one Inspector and 10 staff. The head of this organization in Karnataka is Santosh Hegde, Retired Supreme Court Judge (SC). The Vice President is Retired High Court (HC) Judge, Honourable Patri Basanagowda. Only retired judges of the SC and HC can stand for these posts and they serve a term of five years each.

One can call the Lokayukta office at 0820-2536661 or 0820-2527770

Sub-edited by: Ami Misra