HAVERI: Lokayukta N. Venkatachala on Thursday said that he is disenchanted with the deep-rooted corruption in almost all Sub-Registrars' offices in the State.

Mr. Venkatachala made the observation during a visit to the office of Sub Registrar in Hangal on the fourth day of his six-day tour of the district on Thursday. Mr. Venkatachala said that he has visited over 100 offices of Sub-Registrars in the State. Of them, he was able to find only two Sub Registrars to be honest. "I am so disgusted with it," Mr. Venkatachala said to a group of presspersons during his visit.

During the inspection of the office here, he found that sale deeds had not been distributed for the past one-and-a-half years in some cases, while the rules stipulate that if the deeds are not collected within fifteen days, notices need to be sent to the individuals.

Notices not sent

The staff was unable to explain why the documents had not been handed over or notices sent to those who had applied. Mr. Venktakachala directed the District Registrar to look into the matter and send a report to him immediately.

Mr. Venkatachala began the day with a surprise visit to the 30-bed Primary Health Centre at Akkialur, a big town in the taluk, on the way to Hangal.

He was informed that the health centre was attracting more patients than the taluk hospital and was facing a shortage of space to treat them. He noticed that the patients had been accommodated on the veranda, and directed the health officials to ensure that the patients are given proper treatment.

He found that the X-ray machine was not being used as there was no technician to operate it. The Lokayukta also found expired medicines being used at the health centre.

Mr. Venkatachala had an interesting discussion with the administrative doctor of the health centre I.Y. Malavade. He is reportedly running a private hospital in the town. Mr. Venkatachala advised him to stop working at the private hospital and continue private practice from his residence if need be.

The doctor, however, asked the Lokayukta to look at his track record at the government hospital and take into consideration the good work done by it.

Criticised

The Lokayukta pulled up the Chief Executive Officer of the zilla panchayat for the bad maintenance of the taluk government hospital at Hangal town. The Lokayukta was told that the hospital does not have a lady doctor and the X-ray machine is not working.

They also complained that the doctor was taking money for administering the rabies vaccine. Mr. Venkatachala directed the doctor to make sure that the mistakes are not repeated.

At the taluk panchayat office, Mr. Venkatachala directed the suspension of Mulla, a clerk, with immediate effect in connection with irregularities noticed in the payment of funds for the construction of Ashraya houses.

Mr. Mulla had been handling the matter for the past 10 years and he was not able to produce records to corroborate the payments made towards the construction of houses under the Navagrama scheme.

Complaints

At the town municipality in Hangal, the former municipal president Nazir Ahmed complained about irregularities in the construction of Ashraya houses. The municipal staff could not produce the counterfoils of payments made for the scheme. The Lokayukta directed that the necessary papers be produced before him by evening. The Lokayukta found that the municipality was unable to collect taxes properly and the services of an outsider were being used in the absence of a junior engineer to prepare estimates.

Mr. Venkatachala listened to grievances from the public on Thursday evening before returning to Haveri. He will visit other government offices in Haveri town on Friday and Ranebennur on Saturday.

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