Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jun 24: A surprise inspection led by officials from the Karnataka Lokayukta Mangaluru and Udupi divisions has revealed several administrative lapses and irregularities across key departments of the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC).
The joint operation was headed by Lokayukta police officials including deputy superintendent of police Dr Gana P Kumar, Suresh Kumar P, inspectors Bharathi G, Chandrashekar K N from Mangaluru, and Manjunath and Rajendra Naik M N from Udupi. The inspection was conducted under a search warrant obtained from the Lokayukta and covered the revenue, health, engineering, accounts, and town planning departments, along with the commissioner’s office.
During the inspection, the team found multiple deficiencies in file processing and administrative procedures across these departments.
Officer continues in post even 15 years after retirement
In the revenue and town planning sections, the presence of middlemen was notably high. A broker was found in possession of Rs 5 lac in unaccounted cash. Shockingly, an official who retired as health officer 15 years ago was found continuing in the same post, raising serious concerns about administrative malpractice.
The health department was found to have several discrepancies. Numerous trade licence files were found pending on the MCC trade licence portal. Several businesses had not renewed their licences, nor had the corresponding fees been collected.
The engineering department had pending files that were not updated, while the accounts section was flagged for delays in bill settlements.
The town planning department was found issuing building permits without adhering to prescribed norms. In certain cases, buildings that violated the building bye-laws had received approvals despite previously issued demolition orders. It is suspected that the engineers and senior officials from the town planning wing, including the commissioner, had granted these permissions unlawfully.
The inspection also found that officials in the underground drainage (UGD) and stormwater management sections—executive engineers, assistant engineers, and UGD staff—had failed to act against illegal drainage connections from buildings into city drains and stormwater channels. This negligence has reportedly led to unhygienic conditions in residential areas during rains due to overflowing drains.
It was also found that several apartment complexes with more than 25 units lacked adequate sewage treatment plant (STP) capacity. Despite this, officials had approved them without insisting on mandatory STP construction. Additionally, during the construction approval process, conditions related to the UGD network were reportedly overlooked, contributing to the pollution of local rivers and streams.
Superintendent of police (in-charge), Karnataka Lokayukta Mangaluru, Kumarachandra stated that a detailed report on the findings will be submitted to the Lokayukta central office for further action.