An inquiry report by Shivamogga Zilla Panchayat has indicted the Government Employees Housing Cooperative Society of Shivamogga, headed by C.S. Shadakshari, who is also State president of the State Government Employees’ Association, over the illegal dredging of Muddana tank at Abbalagere on the outskirts of Shivamogga city.
K.C. Sangappa, Executive Engineer of the Panchayat Raj Engineering Division of Shivamoppa ZP, in his report, submitted to Deputy Commissioner R. Selvamani on July 13, said that silt (soil) from the tank was removed illegally to benefit a private layout, besides causing a loss of royalty of ₹71 lakh to the State government.
The DC had ordered the Panchayat Raj Engineering Division to probe the issue following a complaint by B. Jagadeesh, general secretary of Shivamogga District Congress Committee. He had alleged that a huge quantity of silt had been removed from the tank, flouting the norms. The Executive Engineer and his staff inspected the tank, spread over 35 acres and four guntas at Survey Number 119 of Abbalagere and submitted the report.
Mr. Shadakshari had sought permission from the gram pancyat and the Department of Mines and Geology to lift 500 truck loads of silt from the tank for the layout, meant for government employees. He had taken a no-objection certificate from the Abbanagere Gram Panchayat for removing the silt.
The inquiry report stated that the tank belonged to the Panchayat Raj Engineering Department (PRED) and the gram panchayat had no powers to allow the removal of silt. Moreover, in May 2022 itself, the Chief Executive Officer of ZP had written to all PDOs restricting the dredging of tanks beyond three feet in depth. However, the private housing society was allowed to go as deep as 1.61 m to 5.22 m to remove silt.
“The housing society had taken permission to carry 500 loads of silt. However, finally, they lifted 15,004 loads of silt. In an area of 10 acres about 1,20,032.00 cubic metre of silt had been removed”, the inquiry report said.
The society paid a royalty of ₹56,000 only to the Mines and Geology Department, while the actual amount they should have paid is over ₹72 lakh, considering the amount of silt they lifted”, the report said. Considering these factors, the Executive Engineer of PRED, concluded that silt had been removed illegally from the tank.
It has been more than 25 days since the report was submitted. Mr. Jagadeesh, the complainant, has questioned the delay in taking action against Shadakshari and the officers involved. “I urge the Deputy Commissioner to take action against the officers involved in the illegal act. I have also written to the State Audit and Accounts Department to transfer Shadakshari, who works at the Shivamogga Local Audit Circle office, from Shivamogga, as he can influence the inquity into the illegal act” he said.
