'Notice to public servants through fax, e-mails'

Justice Y Bhaskar Rao opens Lokayukta office in Mangalore

Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao has said that to expedite the disposal of cases, we have introduced notice service system to all public servants of Karnataka through fax and e-mails.

Speaking to presspersons after inaugurating the Lokayukta office building at Urwa Store in Mangalore on Friday, he said that normally summons are sent through post. The use of fax and e-mails will also reduce the expenditure and the time. 

“Our aim is to dispose off the complaint within a year from the date of complaint. We have complaints pending from 2001. Along with the disposing of the fresh complaints, we will also take measures to dispose the pending complaints,”  he added.

“Our endeavour is to give good governance. We will not spare any government officer who is engaged in harassing the commonman. People’s satisfaction is the motto of the Lokayukta institution,” he said.

Since the date of assumption of the post of Lokayukta, a total of 4,857 complaints pertaining to Lokayukta jurisdiction, 3,644 complaints pertaining to Upalokayukta-1 jurisdiction and 5,105 complaints pertaining to Upalokayukta-2 jurisdiction were pending. From February 15 till April 14, 802 complaints in Lokayukta jurisdiction, 416 complaints of Upalokayukta-1 jurisdiction and 664 complaints of Upalokayukta -2 jurisdiction were disposed off.

To a query on low conviction rate, Upa Lokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi said that conviction rate is low in Mangalore. However, it is 66 per cent in Bangalore.
On witness turning hostile, he said “we do not depend on witness alone. The police force will also be strengthened.” 

ADGP H N Sathyanarayana Rao said that as many as 96 cases were registered in Mangalore Lokayukta office, of which, ‘B’ report were filed in six complaints, charge sheet has been filed in 66 cases and the probe into 24 cases are in progress. The conviction rate in Mangalore from 2004 to 2009 was 15.2 per cent. From 2009 till date, it was 37.05 per cent.

With the new building being inaugurated, the office of Lokayukta will be shifted to the new venue in Mangalore. The public can contact: 0824-2453420.

The new building has come up at a cost of Rs 65 lakh. The State government has released additional Rs 95 lakh to take up further development work.

Registrar Yoginath and DIG P H Rane was present.

Not many complaints from Mangalore: ADGP

Lokaykuta ADGP H N Sathyanarayana Rao said that the Lokayukta office has not been getting more complaints from Mangalore. “We get highest complaints from Bangalore, Tumkur, Mysore and Udupi. People of the region should come forward to submit their grievances pertaining to government offices or allegations on misuse of funds in the gram panchayat or in any government offices,” he said.