Following a number of complaints of bribery in the office of the Sub-Registrar in Ballari, Ballari City MLA Nara Bharath Reddy paid a surprise visit to the office on Wednesday and inspected the way the staff perform their duties in addressing people’s issues.
He inspected the chamber of the Sub-Registrar, cabins of computer operators and other premises to see how the staff members were discharging their duties.
“I have received a number of complaints from the people of my constituency. Most of the complainants have alleged that the officials in the Sub-Registrar office demand bribes up to ₹10,000 even for minor work. During my inspection, I understand that the officials are not directly accepting bribes from people. But, they are accepting it through middlemen. I found that the bribery amount that people pay middlemen, which is then diverted to officials, is greater than the stamp duty that the people pay to the government,” Mr. Reddy told media representatives after his visit.
He warned the staff members of the Sub-Registrar office against any malpractice and told them that he himself will complain to the Lokayukta if he found any irregularities.
“The government offices in my constituency should be free of corruption. People should not be charged anything other than the fees prescribed by the government for their work. I don’t tolerate irregularities. If I find any government servant demanding bribe from people for any work, I myself will file a complaint with the Lokayukta,” he said.
Reiterating his commitment to making Ballari a corruption-free constituency, Mr. Reddy said that corruption in any form in his constituency will not be tolerated.
“In my run-up to the Assembly elections, I promised to make Ballari a corruption-free constituency. I am still committed to keeping the promise. I am determined to root out corruption form Ballari. The department head will be held responsible for any bribe taken by his subordinate,” he said.
