Civic body officials caught on wrong foot

Standing Committee finds discrepancy in recruitment of health inspector, unearths how former BMMP officials were drawing salaries after retirement Often ridiculed by senior BMMP officials for not making a single landmark achievement, the Standing Committee has silenced its critics by unearthing several grave discrepancies ranging from improper appointment to disbursing of salary to retired employees in the health and welfare department of the Palike.Standing Committee Chairman HR Krishnappa during his visitto JJ Nagar Health and family welfare office, where he foundout about the voilationThe discrepancies came to the fore during a surprise visit to the health department by the Standing Committee, HR Krishnappa.With just five months to go for dissolution of the existing panel, Krishnappa, who is often dubbed as weak by the senior Palike officials, seems to be determined to prove his critics wrong.Going forwardActing on complaints about rampant mismanagement in the health department, Krishanappa paid a surprise visit to JJ Nagar east zone health office only to discover that health inspector Nagabhushan was appointed at the age of 17 a case of blatant violation of the Karnataka Municipal Corporation (KMC) Act.The panel also exposed lapses in zonal administration as the officials failed to provide documents of the health inspector's record and information on the three retired welfare department officials, who were still drawing salaries from the civic body.Tough actionUpset with 'rampant' discrepancies in the department, Krishanappa said he would take tough action against those found guilty. I will ensure that all discrepancies are eliminated before my term as the panel head comes to an end.He added, I have received many complaints about mismanagement in the health and welfare department. The officials here are taking things for granted, I have noticed violations in the recruitment of health inspector Nagabhushan, who was appointed at the age of 17. He has been working in the department for nearly 20 years now. There have been instances when a few former BBMP officials have been drawing their salary with near impunity, even after their retirement. The Chief Finance Comptroller will have to explain how this happened right under their nose. No one will be spared, all the guilty will face action.DownplayedDownplaying the issue of mismanagement, the Joint Commissioner of the BBMP, Shankar Patil, said he was aware of a few small mistakes committed by the accounts department, due to which the palike continued paying a few former officials despite their retirement. And as far as the matter of violation in health inspector's appointment is concerned, Patil said he would have to ask for the related documents and go through them before commenting on issue.'To err is human'At times, silly mistakes creep in and nobody is immune to it. If somebody has deliberately committed a blunder, I will surely take action against the guilty.u00a0I have asked the officials concerned to submit a report in this regard. The salary disbursed to former officials has been recovered already and people attached to accounts departments will be questioned about the lapses, said Patil.