'WhatsApp group was formed to track creation of new survey number'

A WhatsApp group was created to monitor the progress on creation of a new survey number for a parcel of land in Anekal to favour Tarabai Maruthi Rao Jadhav, mother of Chief Secretary Aravind Jadhav, according to sources.

A mention of the WhatsApp group is made in IAS officer Munish Moudgil’s letter to the government complaining that he was transferred from the post of Survey Settlement and Land Records commissioner as he had stopped the revenue authorities from completing the process of creating a new survey number.

The group, with 10 members, comprising revenue officials, was created by Jayprakash, joint director, Land Records, Bengaluru Urban, apparently on the  instructions of Jadhav on June 22 this year, sources said.

The group was active when revenue officials initiated the process of creating a new survey number - 29/1 - by amalgamating and deleting the existing survey numbers at Ramanayakanahalli, Sarjapur hobli, Anekal taluk to favour certain individuals, including Tarabai Maruthi Rao Jadhav, sources said.

Some of the posts made by Jadhav in the group include “Is the Land Records department sleeping”, “What are the officials concerned doing”, “Respond immediately”, “The work should be done within the next two days”, the sources added. Incidently, Moudgil was also included in the group.

The other members included Revenue Department Principal Secretary Basavaraj, Bhoomi Monitoring Cell Programme Manager Suresh, Bengaluru North Assistant Commissioner Nagaraj, Bhoomi Help Desk Consultant Ananth, Bengaluru North Assistant Director, Land Records, Manjunath Thavane and Bengaluru South Assistant Director, Land Records, Anand Kumar.
DH News Service