Irked over long-pending unsolved cases, Revenue Minister R V Deshpande took to task the assistant commissioners and tahsildars of Bengaluru – North, South, East, Anekal and Yelahanka taluks.
At the review meeting on Tuesday, the minister slammed the officials over piling up of files under Sakala and irregularity in making the government benefits to reach people.
The MLAs of Bengaluru and Member of Parliament (MP) D K Suresh of Bengaluru Rural, deputy commissioners (DC) and special DCs, assistant commissioners, tahsildars and senior officials of the revenue department attended the meeting.
When the DCs and special DCs blamed the ACs, and tahsildars of being deliberately negligent in responding
to notices or queries raised by them, the minister directed the officials to clear all the pending cases by the end of June or face the consequence.
The issue of negligence of the officials in protecting the government land from being encroached was also raised at the meeting. The officials failed to provide facts and figures on the revival of such lands, which even more annoyed the minister.
When the claim of the officials that 16,000 acres of land have been taken back from the encroachers failed to convince the minister, he pointed out at lack of coordination among the officials and directed them to address it first.
Later, while addressing the media, Deshpande said the government was ready to face the monsoon.
“There is enough stock of fodder for animals, and the agriculture department has provided enough seeds and fertilisers.To address the drinking water issue, we have also waived off the Central government restriction on water tankers in the state. As the figures given by the officials on the recovery of government land was not convincing, we have decided to support the DCs to work towards it,” Deshpande said.
On the sidelines of the meeting he also ordered the officials to make the village accountants and revenue inspector responsible for the encroachment of government land, and also take the help of jurisdictional police if necessary.
Special initiative
The minister ordered the DCs, ACs and tahsildars to take a special initiative from June 21-30 and dispose of all the pending files on the basis of merit.
“On a priority basis, they have to clear all the cases or officials concerned will be penalised,” Deshpande said.