Some of the daily wagers of Madikeri City Municipal Council have complained to Deputy Lokayukta urging a probe into the misappropriation of their salary amount by some of the staff in the Council.

The complaint lodged by daily wage labourers Hanumantappa and Puttamma on Saturday has been sent to Deputy Lokayukta Justice Pathri Basavanagowda, said Lokayukta Police Inspector R V Gangadharappa, speaking to Deccan Herald.

The district administration has regularised the service of 31 ‘D’ group daily wagers who were working in Madikeri CMC for the past 10 years, in accordance with a judgement of Supreme Court. Subsequently, Rs 24 lakh had also been released to reimburse their balance salary of the past 10 years.

It has been alleged that some of the staff of the CMC have drew money from the bank accounts by getting the thumb impressions of the daily wagers on blank cheques. In his complaint to the Deputy Lokayukta, Mr Hanumantappa has alleged that those staff have misappropriated certain amount of money from all the 31 regularised workers. Hanumantappa told reporters that some staff have drawn about Rs 9,000 from the bank by getting his signature on blank cheques. Rs 33,000 had been credited to Hanumantappa’s account, but when he went to draw the money, he found that Rs 9,000 had already been drawn. Thus, the whole racket was unearthed. Similarly, another daily wager Puttamma has lost Rs 96,000. Moreover, another worker Ramu from Somwarpet has also filed a case with the Deputy Lokayukta.