Karnataka Lokayukta Deputy Ombudsman K.N. Phaneendra has called for greater transparency, accountability and human values in public administration, saying the Lokayukta received 30,000 cases in one year and disposed of 22,000 of them.
Phaneendra made the remarks while presiding over a Corruption Awareness Week programme at the Zilla Panchayat auditorium in Mysuru on Friday. The programme was attended by senior district officials, police officers and Lokayukta representatives.
Addressing government officers and employees, Phaneendra said integrity should extend beyond refusing or not offering bribes. He said public servants must combine punctuality and diligence with empathy, particularly when dealing with people who need administrative assistance.
“Not accepting or giving a bribe is not the complete meaning of integrity,” Phaneendra said, according to the report. He added that merely arriving at the office on time and performing assigned duties was also not enough, and urged officials to assist vulnerable people as part of their public responsibilities.
Phaneendra said the Lokayukta had completed four decades of functioning, but corruption had not been fully eliminated. He described as a matter of concern the claim that Karnataka ranked third in the country in corruption. The report did not specify the source, methodology or period for that ranking.
He said stronger transparency, honesty and accountability within the administrative system were necessary to address the problem. The remarks came during the annual awareness campaign held from the last week of October to the first week of November. This year’s theme is “Integrity for Prosperity”.
Explaining the theme, Phaneendra said integrity was not limited to personal honesty. He described the careful discharge of duties and responsibilities, including working additional time when necessary to complete public tasks, as part of value-based time management.
The volume of complaints handled by the Lokayukta highlights the continuing role of grievance and anti-corruption institutions in public administration. The figures cited at the event indicate that 8,000 of the 30,000 cases received during the year remained pending after the reported disposal of 22,000 cases. The report does not provide a case-wise breakdown, the nature of the complaints or the period used for the figures.
The programme also referred to the constitutional goal of ensuring equal status, equal opportunities and a better quality of life for all citizens. Participants took an integrity pledge at the event.
Mysuru Deputy Commissioner G. Lakshmikanth Reddy, City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer S. Yukesh Kumar, Lokayukta Superintendent of Police T.J. Udesh and Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr Harshapriyavada attended the programme. The awareness activities are scheduled to continue through the first week of November.
