JOIN US'Tainted' revenue officer transferred without posting
Amidst allegations of corruption against Deputy Director of Land Records (DDLR) Bengaluru City, S Raja Naik, the State government has upgraded the post and transferred the officer without a posting.
The State government has upgraded the Deputy Director of Land Records post to Joint Director of Land Records and had posted K Jayaprakash, who was Deputy Commissioner (Muzrai).
A High Court judge had recently stated in the open court that he has in his possession a CD containing details of irregularities to the tune of Rs 100 crore by Naik.
The State government has issued this order three weeks ago stating that the decision was made keeping in mind the increasing number of cases pertaining to government land encroachment.
“Already the State government has created two more Deputy Commissioners posts for Bengaluru City in view of increasing revenue matters pertaining to government lands. In this regard, it was decided to upgrade the post of DDLR to Joint Director to identify cases of encroachment and take up the survey with some expertise,'' an official said.
The order upgrading the DDLR post also contains transfer order of Raja Naik directing him to report to the government for the posting.
CD about irregularities
On October 28, 2015, during the hearing of a revenue matter, Justice Rammohan Reddy had told Additional Advocate General (AAG) A S Ponnanna in the open court that some members of the public had handed him over a CD about the 'podi’ irregularities by Naik in Bengaluru.
Later, a social activist Ganesh S Kaundinya had written to the High Court acting Chief Justice S K Mukherjee to initiate an inquiry against Raja Naik.
Besides his contacts with V Bhaskar alias '420’ Bhaskar, presently in judicial custody for his role in cases of corruption and extortion within Lokayukta office, Raja Naik was named in reports on revenue-related irregularities.
Recommendations
There have been recommendations by authorities against Naik. In 2012, the then Commissioner of Land Survey, Revenue Management and Land Records, V Ponnuraj had written to the Principal Secretary of Revenue recommending action against Naik.
However, there has been no action against Raja Naik.