Graft in State, at its worst

Two incidents of physical threats, one of them resulting in a brutal assault of chopping an official’s hand for refusing to sanction inflated bills for government works, have once again brought to light deep-rooted corruption and the brazenness of corrupt elements in Karnataka. H R Srinivas, a technical assistant helping Tumakuru zilla panchayat to oversee implementation of the schemes under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in Kunigal taluk, was chased and attacked by some motor-bike borne assailants while returning to his home in Magadi. The contractors, entrusted with the civil works, were reportedly unhappy that Srinivas had reduced the bill amount on finding that the work was not satisfactory. They had threatened him with dire consequences but he had refused to yield. Almost a week after the incident, the police have arrested five local contractors on several charges including attempt to murder. Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H K Patil has done well to call on the official and praise his courage in fighting corrupt forces. As Srinivas had got himself discharged in the middle of the treatment from the hospital being unable to bear mounting bills, the minister ensured continued treatment promising that the government would meet his medical expenses.

If Srinivas’ experience was a horrifying one involving low-level contractors, the complaint of a senior official of the Social Welfare Department posted in Kolar against two elected representatives is equally disturbing. B K Nagarajappa, Joint Director of the Department, in a police complaint as well as a letter sent to the department secretary, has said that two MLAs, Vartur Prakash and S N Narayanaswamy, had sent goons to give a threat to kill him for exposing corruption in the department. Nagarajappa claims that around Rs 200 crore meant for the welfare of the Dalits were being ‘looted’ by legislators and their followers and he was targeted because he tried to resist it. He has sought protection and action against the legislators.

The common thread in the two incidents is that hundreds of crores of rupees that the government earmarks for development projects and the welfare of the poor every year, act like manna from heaven for unscrupulous people who are ready to go to any extent to loot and scoot with public funds. The elected governments have a responsibility to ensure that tax payers’ money is well utilised and those misusing or misappropriating it are severely punished. The Siddaramaiah government should immediately appoint an eminent former judge to fill the post of Lokayukta, lying vacant for months, to send out a strong message to corrupt officials that defrauding the public exchequer won’t be tolerated.