Karnataka has ordered departments facing staff shortages to appoint private agencies for field-level measurement, inspection and audit work, while retaining legal enforcement powers with government officials. The decision is intended to reduce delays in citizen services caused by pending inspections and is based on a recommendation from the Karnataka Administrative Reforms Commission-2.
The order, issued by the Department of Public Services, allows third-party agencies to carry out measurement, inspection and audit activities in departments where vacancies have left routine field work pending. The system will initially be prioritised in departments where staff shortages have resulted in a backlog of regular inspections.
The responsibility of private agencies and their personnel will be limited to conducting inspections, measurements and audits. Officials of the respective government departments will continue to verify the findings, certify the work and conduct surprise field visits to reassess how inspections are being carried out, according to the department’s statement.
The government has also clarified that statutory regulatory powers will remain entirely with government officers even when inspections are conducted by private or third-party agencies. In the Food Safety and Drugs Administration Department, powers to collect food or drug samples, seize material and initiate legal prosecution will continue to rest with government officials.
The first areas identified for the new arrangement include the Legal Metrology Department, the Food Safety and Drugs Administration Department, and the Department of Factories and Boilers. Legal metrology inspections cover the annual verification and stamping of weighing and measuring instruments.
The Food Safety and Drugs Administration Department is expected to use the system for annual inspections of food businesses, hotels, restaurants, medical shops and pharmacies. The Department of Factories and Boilers will cover safety inspections and annual certification of industrial boilers.
The order provides for action against private agency personnel who commit errors or fail to perform their duties properly. Agencies found negligent or involved in irregularities or lapses may face stringent action, including blacklisting, the department said.
The arrangement places private agencies in an operational support role rather than transferring regulatory authority away from the state. The government’s stated objective is to address capacity constraints and prevent delays in routine inspections, while keeping verification, enforcement and prosecution under departmental control.
