A Lokayukta inspection of gram panchayats in Kolar has exposed alleged corruption, discrepancies in official records and prolonged attendance lapses at Narasapur gram panchayat, prompting a sharp warning to its development officer.
Upa Lokayukta B Veerappa questioned the Narasapur gram panchayat development officer (PDO) after finding that the official had received money from a beneficiary, according to a report by The Times of India. Veerappa sought an explanation for the transaction and warned the PDO against giving evasive answers during the inspection.
Veerappa also cautioned the official against treating the gram panchayat as personal property. The report said he warned that he would slap the PDO if the official continued to provide evasive responses and threatened a transfer to a distant location if the official did not correct his conduct.
The inspection found discrepancies in records maintained by the panchayat. Several employees, including the water supply worker, had reportedly failed to sign the attendance register for months. The absence of regular attendance entries raises questions about how staff presence and service delivery are being documented at the local-government office.
The inspection team also found that several names in the registers had been overwritten using whitener. The report did not specify how many records were altered, when the changes were made or whether the discrepancies had affected payments, employee attendance or the delivery of civic services. Those details were not established in the supplied report.
The money received from a beneficiary was described in the report as an indication of alleged corrupt practices, but the supplied account does not state whether a formal criminal case, departmental proceeding or recovery action has been initiated against the PDO. It also does not record a response from the official to the Lokayukta’s observations beyond the explanation questioned during the inspection.
The Upa Lokayukta’s inspections were aimed at examining the functioning of gram panchayats and addressing complaints of administrative irregularities. Gram panchayats are the frontline institutions for local administration in rural areas, making the integrity of their registers and staff attendance records important to the monitoring of basic public services.
The findings place the focus on two aspects of local governance: the handling of money involving beneficiaries and the reliability of administrative records. Attendance registers and other official documents form part of the internal trail through which local institutions record staff activity and account for routine operations. In this case, the reported overwriting and missing signatures were identified during the inspection itself.
The next steps, including any disciplinary action, transfer, formal investigation or corrective measures, were not specified in the report. The inspection and the warnings issued by the Upa Lokayukta remain the immediate documented action in the case.
