Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady (SP)

Beltangady, Mar 2: A person, who allegedly used to fleece poor people in the name of bribing the tahsildar, was handed over to police by the tahsildar herself on Thursday March 1. It is gathered that he is a retired teacher.

The tahsildar concerned, Kusuma Kumari, recently came to know that the accused had been collecting money from gullible people, particularly widows or women whose husbands live in far off cities, to get their work with the revenue department done. She was told of specific cases in which the man concerned had collected certain amounts from a couple of women in the name of greasing the palms of the tahsildar. He used to frequent her office to get various works done on people’s behalf. As soon as he arrived at the office on Thursday, she handed him over to the police.

He was later let off with a warning.

It may be recalled that the tahsildar, in relation to allegations that corruption is rampant in taluk office, had convened a press conference recently to announce that no one needs to pay bribes to get things done at her office. She also prominently displayed a board, barring the entry of middlemen into the office. Later, people who had free access to record room were denied entry there.

Sources in the department said that the tahsildar has to a great extent, succeeded in shuffling the staff and taking measures to control the menace of agents in the office and thereby, reducing the presence of corruption there. There is also information that there have been efforts to sully the image of the tahsildar by people with the connivance of some staffers, who are deprived of their illegitimate income now.