Karnataka - Bijapur   

Eshwarappa `raids' DHO's office in Bagalkot

Staff Correspondent

Asks DHO why an inquiry was not conducted

A SURPRISE VISIT: Water Resources Minister K.S. Eshwarappa (right) checking the medicine stocks at the Health Department godown in Bijapur on Tuesday.

BIJAPUR: Water Resources Minister K.S. Eshwarappa, who is district in-charge Minister, paid a surprise visit to some government offices and caught officials on the wrong foot.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Moshin, Chief Executive Officer of zilla panchayat Rajeev Ranjan, and Municipal Commissioner Sonne Gowda met the Minister at the Inspection Bungalow.

After finishing his routine work, Mr. Eshwarappa told the officials that he wanted to visit some offices. But he did not disclose the programme. Not even local MLA Appasaheb Pattanashetti, who accompanied the Minister, was aware of the programme.

Officials followed his car that stopped at the office of District Health Officer (DHO). Many could not make out who had been at the tables. He grabbed the attendance register and some ledgers. Although it was 10.40 a.m. not all were present. He checked the accounts.

While checking pending files, he found that an inquiry against an officer was not instituted even after several weeks of Lokayukta direction. DHO M.R. Kotyal said he had appointed an inquiry officer and there was a separate file for that. The

Minister wanted to see the file but the official could not produce it. The officer admitted that no such separate file existed. He apologised and produced to hold the inquiry against the official as stated by the Lokayukta and file a report in two days. The Minister then went to store room only to find that the physical stock did not tally with the figures mentioned in the books. His next stop was Watershed Department, where he found variance.

Mr. Eshwarappa told presspersons that he would continue such visits to various offices in taluks.

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