Tainted BDA official gets plum posting upon retirement

Contrary to its tall claims of acting tough on corruption, the state government has extended the services of a tainted engineer officer in the BDA as soon as he retired on superannuation.

N G Gowdaiah was raided on October 6, 2018, by the ACB for amassing huge illegal wealth. Sources in the agency say the raid on his residence had unearthed about 18 kg of gold, huge cash, bank balance and property documents. An inquiry is still on in the case.

But the corruption charge doesn’t seem to have had any bearing on the official’s career. Days before Gowdaiah retired on superannuation on February 28, the managing director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited wrote to the state government, seeking his services. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai gave approval and offered him a plum post-retirement posting.

On March 1, Gowdaiah was appointed a member of the corporation’s technical committee for six months. The committee is evaluating Police Gruha 2025, Command Centre and re-establishment projects.

Government records obtained by DH show Bommai okayed the proposal anticipating post-facto approval from the cabinet.

A written reply given by Bommai in the Legislative Council on Thursday said the inquiry against Gowdaiah is still in progress. A senior official in the ACB confirmed as much as to this newspaper.

The corruption charge aside, there is no provision in the Cadre and Recruitment rules under the Karnataka Civil Service Rules to continue the services of an engineer once he/she retires on superannuation.

Will okay prosecution of officials if graft charges prima facie true: CM

Putting an end to the long wait by ACB officials in getting prosecution permission to interrogate government officials facing corruption charges, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has said that permission would be granted henceforth if charges were found to be prima facie true.

Replying to a question by BJP member Y A Narayana Swamy in the Legislative Council on Thursday, Bommai acknowledged the prolonged delay in according permission.

"It has come to our notice that some of the departments, such as the urban development department and others, have been turning down ACB’s requests by forming internal committees, comprising principal secretaries, secretaries and deputy secretaries, are refusing to give sanction orders for prosecution.

"It is not good on our part to protect the corrupt officials by denying permission to prosecute if charges against such officials are found true during the preliminary investigations. I have ordered to cancel all such internal committees with immediate effect and directed them to bring all such cases to the notice of the state government," he said.

Bommai said the ACB had registered about 310 cases and carried out raids on the office, houses and properties of 371 officials in the last five years. "Out of these, the ACB officials have completed investigation in 63 cases. They have recommended action against 223 accused officials,” he stated.

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