BENGALURU: The state’s revenue department accounts for the highest number of officials convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act in trap cases of Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB).
While 23 government officials caught accepting bribe by ACB have been convicted by different courts, five of them are from revenue department, three each from BBMP and rural development and panchayat raj (RDPR) department and two from the police force, reveals ACB data.
"It doesn't need official data or surveys to realise how deep-rooted and rampant corruption is in government departments. Ask a common man and chances are that he would’ve had to grease palms to get his work done or fast-track it. While raids and convictions can be deterrents, it will take much more to weed out the all-pervasive phenomenon which disrupts delivery of services and stunts development. Here's where technology comes into the picture. Digitalisation will not only reduce paperwork but also limit interactions between the citizenry and bureaucracy. Introduction of contactless transport services has minimised the interference of touts. Other departments could follow suit.-Timesview"
The other convicted officials include two from municipal administration (Pavagada) and one each from BWSSB (Bengaluru), APMC (Raibag), municipal corporation (Dharwad), sub-registrar office (Madhugiri), KMF (Tumakuru), KGID (Tumakuru), social welfare department (Nanjangud) and Bescom (Tumakuru).
Responding to revenue department topping the conviction chart, Tushar Girinath, principal secretary to the department, told TOI: “Digitalising the department is the best way to bring down irregularities and corruption. We are focusing mainly on digitalising documents like land records and certificates so that physical contact between the public and our staff is minimised. But it takes time since land-related records are decades old and we need human interaction in handling them. ”
The first conviction in an ACB trap case dates back to October 25, 2019 when Anil Kumar DS, a second-division as- sistant with the tahsildar office in Kalaghatagi of Dharwad district, was held guilty of accepting bribe and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment of two years with a fine of Rs 10,000. Kumar had been trapped by ACB on December 14, 2016.
The latest conviction came on April 12 when BBMP tax inspector N Nagendra was sentenced to four years’ rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 20,000.
Public prosecutor N Basavaraju from Tumakuru said convictions in trap cases happen mainly because of scientific evidence like currency notes which the accused person would have touched. “Further evidence like a complaint prior to the trap, recorded mobile conversations and the statements of complainant and the shadow witness (a government official who accompanies the complainant during the trap and later becomes an eyewitness) play a vital role,” he said.
ACB has so far registered more than 2,000 cases under Prevention of Corruption Act after trapping and raiding officials. While 58 cases have been disposed of, 23 ended in conviction. All convictions were secured in trap cases.
