Brace for more uncomfortable questions, rightfully asked. In another toast raised to the Right To Information Act, a citizen has turned the heat on officials dealing with his complaint against an allegedly false affidavit, filed by Congress MLA C P Yogeeshwar. R Ramaseshan, Chief Electoral Officer, has rapped D K Rangaswamy, Deputy Commissioner, Bangalore Rural District over inaction at the DC’s office on the complaint, made by Ravindra Beleyur, a chartered accountant.
The CEO, in a letter dated July 19, 2007, has directed the election Returning Officer to take immediate action on the matter and report compliance by August 15. In his complaint, Beleyur had highlighted eight discrepancies with regard to assets declared by the Channapatna MLA before the 2004 general elections. Beleyur contended that Yogeeshwar had entered in the affidavit a Rs five-crore loan as movable asset. He also claimed that the MLA showed land purchased by his company, as his own land.Acting on the complaint backed by information obtained under RTI, the CEO had directed the Assistant Commissioner, who was the election RO, to pursue the matter. On October 13, 2006 the CEO asked the DC to finalise the report before January 31, 2007. Beleyur obtained copies of the official correspondence on the matter, under RTI.
Subsequent to the RO’s report, Ramaseshan made critical observations on the matter, in a letter addressed to the DC, dated June 6, 2007. “...he (RO) has not bothered to look into details of the lands held, compare the details in the affidavit and the particulars in the company accounts and draw a conclusion about the allegation,” the CEO said.
About land owned by the MLA, the CEO observed: “... while the affidavit indicates that he owns 21 acres and 37 guntas of land, details as per the company indicate that he holds 39 acres and 17 guntas of land. This is clearly a case of furnishing incomplete information, amounting to false declaration.” Criticising the RO’s lack of “will to act” and his “blind” acceptance of the MLA’s statement, Ramaseshan sought an explanation from the RO.
