Dented by scams, Industries dept in revamp mode

Admitting that corruption was part of the system, Industries Department principal secretary V P Baligar told Deccan Herald that officials at the C&I, the KIADB and Karnataka Udyog Mitra (KUM) will be put through continuous training programmes that will enhance their efficiency and enable them to curb corruption.

‘Face-saving exercise’

The move is criticised by experts who anticipate this to be just “another face-saving exercise.” However, top bosses in the department feel otherwise.

C&I Ccmmissioner Rajkumar Katri, KIADB chief executive officer Sham Bhatt and KUM managing director K S Shivaswamy say in unison: “We are committed to the service of the people, and so are the people in our department. Yes, there have been instances of corruption and that is what we want to end.”

The KIADB and KUM employees have recently also taken an oath to the same effect. “Being employees of the State services, we will exhibit honesty in all our work, work without succumbing to pressure of any kind and work towards greater efficiency,” they say.

The programme, which will cover 700 people in C&I and 470 in the KIADB, will have guest lectures on corruption and ways of refraining from being corrupt, besides lessons on improving efficiency through better communication, et al.  Also, there will be other measures like making land details available online which were  cleared almost a year ago, if not earlier.

Further, while the anti-corruption drive will be implemented through the ranks, talks of hiring a professional private agency to consult and manage ‘Brand C&I’ are doing the rounds in the corridors of the Vidhana Soudha.

Baligar said talks were on to find an agency whose main role would be to help woo further business into Karnataka -- like the global investors’ meet -- by several brand building exercises and showcasing the success of the existing systems and potential in the State.