Latest news with #BVeerappa
Time of India
6 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Corruption a disease dangerous than cancer: Justice Veerappa
Mandya: Upa Lokayukta Justice B Veerappa on Wednesday declared that corruption is "a disease more dangerous than cancer." He stressed that, unlike cancer, which can often be treated, corruption corrodes the very moral fabric of society and resists cure. Speaking at the public grievance redressal programme, he emphasised that corruption weakens governance, erodes public trust, and dishonours the values. While noting that over 80% of the Indian population is now educated, he expressed concern that too few people understand or uphold the values enshrined in the Constitution. More than 400 complaints were received at the event. Encouraging citizens to act against wrongdoing, Justice Veerappa said, "Every individual has the right to approach the Lokayukta. Use that right fearlessly to report injustice or corruption." Also present at the event were Lokayukta additional registrar Srinivas, District Legal Services Authority secretary Anand, deputy commissioner Kumara, zilla panchayat CEO KR Nandini, superintendent of police Mallikarjun Baladandi, Lokayukta SP Suresh Babu, and additional deputy commissioner BC Shivananda Murthy.
New Indian Express
10-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Karnataka Upa Lokayukta finds irregularities at APMC, RPC, KSWC godowns
BENGALURU: Upa Lokayukta Justice B Veerappa unearthed large-scale irregularities in procurement of farmers' produce at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee's (APMC) yard, the ragi procurement centre (RPC) and a godown of Karnataka State Warehousing Corporation (KSWC) at Doddaballapur on April 7. The Upa Lokayukta registered complaints against APMC secretary Abida Anjum, Narayana HN, junior assistant, RPC, and others. The RPC and the godown are also on the APMC yard. According to a report, agents of merchants collected 10% commission from farmers for their produce and no receipts were issued. Thousands of farmers and merchants visited the APMC yard daily and Rs 10 collected from them for using toilets there. The toilets did not have regular supply and were not maintained properly. Moreover, the yard had no restrooms for farmers. The situation is no different at RPC and the godown. The Upa Lokayukta found uncalibrated weighing machines at the yard. Farmers suffered losses because of this. Employees at the yard declared cash in their possession while entering their offices, but not at the time of leaving. No movement register was maintained. The officials did not provide details to the Upa Lokayukta regarding registered agents, traders and licenses issued to them. Though space has been provided by the APMC for ragi procurement, the weighbridge there was not being used, the report said. When asked, Narayana informed the Upa Lokayukta that the weighbridge installed by the APMC at a cost of Rs 20 lakh on the main road is not accessible to farmers because vehicles could not reach the spot due to a drain. When farmers stated that they were deprived of various benefits, the Upa Lokayukta directed the APMC officials to address all issues. At the ragi godown of KSWC, each bag was found labelled 50 kg. However, when weighed, it was found that some bags contained only 43 kg, 48kg and 49 kg. But farmers should go there with ragi bags, each containing 52 kg instead of 50 kg. When Narayana's mobile phone was checked, it was found that more transactions were made through digital payment. The Upa Lokayukta sought statements of bank accounts of Narayana and Tanveer Sait, district manager.
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Lokayukta inspection of mining areas reveals laxity; plaint registered
Davanagere: Justice and Upa Lokayukta B Veerappa initiated a suo motu complaint against the department of mines and geology regarding illegal stone quarrying activities. An investigation was initiated after questions arose about the legality of mining operations in the district. An inspection on Thursday at stone mining locations near Hiretogaleri and Panjenahalli forest areas in Davanagere taluk revealed that mining activities near Kurki surpassed the permitted area and buffer zone, possibly causing significant environmental damage. Officials were directed to perform routine inspections to verify compliance with mining regulations. Among the seven licensed mining operations in Hiretogaleri, several reached depths exceeding 100 feet, creating concerns about closure. The quarry explosions impacted houses in nearby villages, necessitating official scrutiny. The authorities stressed strict compliance with govt protocols, warning that violations could lead to contract cancellation. At Panjenahalli near Hebbal, while quarrying stopped, crusher operations remain active. "Officials must ensure mining owners restore the mined area with soil and vegetation," Upa Lokayukta instructed. The inspection group comprised Lokayukta additional registrar KM Rajashekar, deputy registrars Aravind NV and Milan VN, senior civil judge Mahaveer Karannanavar, deputy commissioner in charge Suresh Itnal, SP Uma Prashant, Lokayukta SP MS Kaup, senior geologist Rashmi, and various departmental officials. 3 years imprisonment for false complaint against officials: B Veerappa "Lokayukta observed during its investigations that certain individuals and organisations are lodging false complaints against officials for personal gains," highlighted Upa Lokayukta, Justice B Veerappa. Speaking at a public grievances session at Tungabhadra Hall in Davanagere on Thursday, he stated that Section 20 of the Lokayukta Act prescribes imprisonment between 6 months to 3 years for those submitting false cases against officials. He confirmed the presence of authentic corruption cases involving govt officials while indicating that some individuals make corruption allegations against officials for personal gain. He stressed that the Lokayukta would not tolerate such conduct. Justice Veerappa referenced situations where both the Right to Information Act and Lokayukta Act were exploited to pressure officials. "A specific case where an individual made false accusations against five officials, resulting in him issuing a stern warning and strict directives against misusing the law," he clarified. He further expressed that during India's independence, only about 18% of the population was literate. Currently, while the literacy rate stands at roughly 80%, Justice Veerappa noted that 90% of educated people remain unaware of legal matters, while being primarily responsible for legal disputes and cases.
