PWD secy amasses Rs 6 cr, lands in Lokayukta net

Mtoday/ DHN

Bangalore, July 22: Just two weeks before his tenure comes to a close, Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde had his first “big fish” catch as he trapped a senior Public Works Department official on information that he had wealth disproportionate to his income.

 

The Lokayukta ascertained on Friday that Secretary to the Government, PWD Department, Mrutyunjaya Swamy had Rs 5.94 crore in total assets, while  his total income without deducting his expenses since 1992 was just Rs 95,70, 373.

“Currently, we have also received information that the accused government officer has stored money and some additional property documents in the department office. Our team along with the accused are at Vikas Soudha trying to ascertain the details,” said Hegde.

The Lokayukta said Swamy should have had just one acre of the four-acre ancestral property in his father’s name, which he is sharing with three of his brothers. “However, the officer could not have possibly made such large sums in a short period,” claimed Hegde.

Apart from owning a palatial house at Banashankari IInd Stage, Swamy also has a commercial complex on South End Road in his name, a flat in his wife and mother-in-law’s names in the famed Brigade Gateway in Yeshwanthpur, five bank accounts in Canara Bank and Vijaya Bank in his family members’ names apart from another house at Kadirenhalli. The Lokayukta have also seized Rs 54.59 lakh in hard cash from the home of the accused.

“The accused government officer, in his old house, also had a cupboard with certain amount of cash and keys to a bank locker, which were seized. We are yet to open the locker and are sure to find more assets (in it). Also, the inventory of the jewellery and household items are yet to be carried out. I am sure that the figures will go up once that is done,” said Hegde.

Besides the “big fish”, as many as seven more government officials were trapped in the day-long raid conducted by different teams of the Lokayukta. A range forest officer from Belthangadi, an executive engineer from PWD in Davangere, an assistant executive engineer (AEE) from the zilla panchayat, Hungund, child project officer in Bidar, AEE from the Panchayat Raj Engineering division, Mulubagal, Kolar, a first division assistant, APMC, Tumkur and a village panchayat  secretary from Doddasugur, Raichur, were also trapped in the raids for having assets disproportionate to their accumulated salary.  In total, the Lokayukta seized assets and cash totalling up to Rs 10.12 crore from the eight government officials.

 

Lokayukta stumbles on ‘forest wealth’

Lokayukta officers on Friday stumbled on a treasure trove at the residence of Raghava Patali, a range forest officer - Rs 20,000 in his pocket and about Rs 24.13 lakh currency in his home.

According to Lokayukta, the salary and other incomes of Patali since joining service as a forest guard in 1980 would come to Rs 55.60 lakh. However, apart from wades of currency, the raid party also seized papers which showed that Patali owned two buildings and a commercial complex worth Rs 39.05 lakh, two cars and a two-wheeler. Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde said in a lighter vein, “Looks like Patali does not need interest on his money, with nearly Rs 24 lakh found at his home.”

Another government servant Virupakshappa, an executive engineer with Public Works Department in Davangere was found to own two houses, one in Davangere and another in Yelahanka, Bangalore - valued in total at Rs 45.39 lakh. The total value of assets seized from him was put at Rs 89.09 lakh against his projected income of Rs 46.82 lakh over his 32 years of service.

Suresh Ningappa Gowder, an Assistant Executive Engineer with the zilla panchayat, Hunagund, appears to have doubled his income since he joined government service in 1990. Against his projected income of Rs 40.50 lakh, Gowder was found to be in possession of wealth assessed at Rs 72.05 lakh. Apart from a cash of Rs four lakh, the Lokayukta team also found that he owned a tractor, two motorbikes, a car in the name of himself and his family members.  Perhaps the smallest fish netted during the statewide raid was Abdul Ghani, a village panchayat secretary of Doddasugur, Sindhanur taluk in Raichur district.

Ghani was found to possess assets of Rs 17.27 lakh as opposed to projected income of Rs 17 lakh.

The Lokayukta said all the eight officials possess jewellery and costly household articles and an inventory has to be made of all such assets.

 

 

Courtesy : Deccan Herald