Latest news with #BVeerappa
New Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Upa Lokayukta to launch massive drive to plant 80k saplings in Karnataka's Tumakuru
BENGALURU: Continuing his mission to protect and enrich the environment, Upa Lokayukta Justice B Veerappa will on Thursday launch a massive drive to plant 80,000 saplings in 300 acres of forest land in Chikkanayakanahalli taluk of Tumakuru District The programme was reclaimed by the revenue department from encroachers and handed over to the forest department. After taking over as Upa Lokayukta in July 2024, Justice Veerappa was instrumental in planting 40,000 saplings, including 25,000 in Tumakuru, 10,000 in Kolar and 2,000 in Karighatta of Mandya district. The land at Chikkanayakanahalli was occupied by encroachers for decades and was restored as forest land. Despite a recommendation made by the then Upa Lokayukta Justice N Anand under Section 12(1) of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act in 2019 on a complaint filed in 2015 by one Siddalingegowda, the land was not reclaimed by the state authorities for about six years. Taking up the matter after taking charge, Justice Veerappa warned of referring the matter to the governor for action, while summoning the officials concerned and fixing hearings back-to-back to take the issue to a logical end. The proceedings culminated with the revenue department reclaiming the land and making related entries in the revenue records on June 17, 2025, to show that this land belongs to the forest. 'I am launching the plantation drive to protect the land from unscrupulous persons and enrich nature further,' Justice Veerappa told TNIE.
New Indian Express
07-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
‘Corruption more dangerous than cancer': Justice B Veerappa
Justice B Veerappa, Upa Lokayukta, Karnataka, is on a mission to cauterise the cancerous growth of corruption in bureaucracy. In an interaction with TNIE, he says the fight against corruption has to begin in the mother's womb. He is determined to make the anti-corruption watchdog more powerful than ever at a time when IPS officers from within the Lokayukta too are mired in corruption. Here are the excerpts: Who do you think the corrupt are — people or elected representatives? Corruption has prevailed since pre-Independence. Society as a whole is full of corruption, except for a few. Why is corruption so rampant? There are good laws like the Prevention of Corruption Act, but the people appointed do not implement them properly. What makes people in power corrupt? Position and possession. With selfish agendas, everybody is fighting for position and wealth. Corruption is more dangerous than cancer. Cancer can be cured, but not corruption. What is the role of the Lokayukta institution as a whole? In all, about 25,000 cases are pending before the institution. Of them, nearly 8,000 are false. These pose the biggest problem, causing colossal waste of time and manpower. Many such complaints are being filed to achieve a selfish agenda. By the time we find out, three years would have been lost as we have to follow all the procedures to dispose them of, including issuing notices to the concerned, calling for explanation and scrutiny. People should resist filing such complaints and allow us to give quality time to genuine complaints. The more we visit the districts, the more complaints we receive. But the manpower is not enough to take up these complaints. The institution is facing a severe shortage of staff and vehicles. We write often to the authorities, but no government is interested in strengthening the institution.
New Indian Express
26-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Water in Bengaluru lakes not fit for even farming
BENGALURU: The quality of water in 2,020 lakes in and around Bengaluru coming under different zones of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) are of 'D' and 'E' categories, which makes them unfit even for agriculture. This was revealed when Lokayukta officials paid a surprise visit to KSPCB offices and conducted a search in the city on Wednesday. BBMP and BWSSB are letting untreated sewage into the Vrishabhavathi river due to the lack of an underground drainage system, and not industries or apartments. The water quality in this catchment area is categorised as 'D' and 'E'. While test results have been the same every month for the last several years, no steps have been taken to address it and neither have criminal cases been registered against both agencies by KSPCB under provisions of the Air and Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Acts and Environment (Protection) Act. Although KSPCB authorities claimed there is a 50-metre buffer zone along the Vrishabhavathi in BDA and BBMP limits, as there was an exception against the actual 500m buffer zone, they have not prevented illegal constructions even within 50m. Except a few lakes which are monitored by courts taking up suo motu cases, the majority of lakes are polluted severely, besides being encroached. This was disclosed by KSPCB authorities themselves when Upa Lokayukta Justice B Veerappa accompanied judicial and police officers who visited RR Nagar region. This team is one among 27 teams which paid surprise visits. Water bodies with water quality in 'D' and 'E' categories include 35 lakes in Anekal Zone, 40 lakes in Bommanahalli Zone, 35 lakes in Bengaluru South Zone, 1,772 lakes in Bengaluru East Zone comprising Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Mahadevapura and Hosakote, 24 lakes in Bengaluru City Zone, 8 lakes in Bengaluru City East Zone, 16 lakes in Sarjapur Zone, 40 lakes in Mahadevapura Zone, 12 lakes in Hosakote and Devanahalli Zone, 2 lakes in Bengaluru City West Zone, 6 lakes in Bengaluru City South Zone and 30 lakes in Bengaluru North Zone. This was disclosed by KSPCB authorities when Justice Veerappa confronted them with the provisions of law during the visit. It was also found that KSPCB officials had done UPI transactions beyond their legitimate income, hence their financial statements have been sought by Justice Veerappa. Corruption charges Lokayukta Justice BS Patil visited the KSPCB head office, and Lokayukta IGP Subramanyeshara Rao visited Peenya Industrial Area. The visit came in view of complaints received against KSPCB officials on corruption charges, nepotism, maladministration, and dereliction of duty.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Corruption a disease dangerous than cancer: Justice Veerappa
Mandya: Upa Lokayukta Justice B Veerappa on Wednesday declared that corruption is "a disease more dangerous than cancer." He stressed that, unlike cancer, which can often be treated, corruption corrodes the very moral fabric of society and resists cure. Speaking at the public grievance redressal programme, he emphasised that corruption weakens governance, erodes public trust, and dishonours the values. While noting that over 80% of the Indian population is now educated, he expressed concern that too few people understand or uphold the values enshrined in the Constitution. More than 400 complaints were received at the event. Encouraging citizens to act against wrongdoing, Justice Veerappa said, "Every individual has the right to approach the Lokayukta. Use that right fearlessly to report injustice or corruption." Also present at the event were Lokayukta additional registrar Srinivas, District Legal Services Authority secretary Anand, deputy commissioner Kumara, zilla panchayat CEO KR Nandini, superintendent of police Mallikarjun Baladandi, Lokayukta SP Suresh Babu, and additional deputy commissioner BC Shivananda Murthy.
New Indian Express
10-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Karnataka Upa Lokayukta finds irregularities at APMC, RPC, KSWC godowns
BENGALURU: Upa Lokayukta Justice B Veerappa unearthed large-scale irregularities in procurement of farmers' produce at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee's (APMC) yard, the ragi procurement centre (RPC) and a godown of Karnataka State Warehousing Corporation (KSWC) at Doddaballapur on April 7. The Upa Lokayukta registered complaints against APMC secretary Abida Anjum, Narayana HN, junior assistant, RPC, and others. The RPC and the godown are also on the APMC yard. According to a report, agents of merchants collected 10% commission from farmers for their produce and no receipts were issued. Thousands of farmers and merchants visited the APMC yard daily and Rs 10 collected from them for using toilets there. The toilets did not have regular supply and were not maintained properly. Moreover, the yard had no restrooms for farmers. The situation is no different at RPC and the godown. The Upa Lokayukta found uncalibrated weighing machines at the yard. Farmers suffered losses because of this. Employees at the yard declared cash in their possession while entering their offices, but not at the time of leaving. No movement register was maintained. The officials did not provide details to the Upa Lokayukta regarding registered agents, traders and licenses issued to them. Though space has been provided by the APMC for ragi procurement, the weighbridge there was not being used, the report said. When asked, Narayana informed the Upa Lokayukta that the weighbridge installed by the APMC at a cost of Rs 20 lakh on the main road is not accessible to farmers because vehicles could not reach the spot due to a drain. When farmers stated that they were deprived of various benefits, the Upa Lokayukta directed the APMC officials to address all issues. At the ragi godown of KSWC, each bag was found labelled 50 kg. However, when weighed, it was found that some bags contained only 43 kg, 48kg and 49 kg. But farmers should go there with ragi bags, each containing 52 kg instead of 50 kg. When Narayana's mobile phone was checked, it was found that more transactions were made through digital payment. The Upa Lokayukta sought statements of bank accounts of Narayana and Tanveer Sait, district manager.
