Development Officer of the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) here has been playing truant with the district magistrate and deputy commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey and also with the entrepreneurs of the district with regard to allotment of industrial sites at  the I and II stage of the Industrial Estate at Kapanur here.

The deputy commissioner has recommended for disciplinary action against the Development Officer.

In a letter to Chief Executive Officer and Executive Member of KIADB D N Nayak the deputy commissioner has complained that the said development officer was not attending the district level single window committee meetings and even if he attends he would not furnish proper information to the meeting.

Due to the erratic and indisciplined behaviour of the development officer it has become very difficult to solve the problems and grievances of  district entrepreneurs, the DC added.

Factual report

The development officer was asked to submit a factual report about the sites allotted and sites remaining vacant at the industrial estate.

Although the said officer submitted a report stating no site was vacant in the I and II stage of the Industrial Estate at Kapanur he did not furnish details about the sites numbering 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 26 and 27.

Though the development officer was asked on several occasions to give information on guidelines with regard to transfer and cancellation of sites it was not furnished by him.

It was latter known from the central office of the Board  from Bangalore that on the recommendation of the development officer the said sites had been allotted to entrepreneurs.

After acquiring land at the said industrial estate 119 entrepreneurs had applied for sites  and paid an advance of Rs.20,000 each.

The single window committee meeting in March last had decided to allot the sites on seniority of applicants. The seniority list of the entrepreneurs was prepared  and the same was given to KIADB officers for allotment of sites.

Meanwhile, the entrepreneurs complained to the deputy commissioner that some of the sites have been allotted to other entrepreneurs whose names are not included in the duly prepared seniority list.

The deputy commissioner had asked the Board CEO to cancel those sites if they have been allotted to ineligible persons.

Further orders

Based on the deputy commissioner’s letter the Board has kept in abeyance until further orders the allotment of the sites for which the entrepreneurs have raised objection.

The Small Scale Industries Owners Association here has thanked the deputy commissioner for doing justice to aggrieved entrepreneurs.

"Deputy Commissioner’s action and concern for the genuine grievances of entrepreneurs will go a long way in the development of industries’’ Association president Bhimashankar Patil said.