Vinod M Jain
Close on the heels of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on a senior excise department official in Karnataka, the Lokayukta Police on Monday carried out surprise inspections at Excise Department offices across Bengaluru as part of a corruption and administrative audit.
The searches were conducted based on warrants issued against eight Deputy Commissioner (DC) Excise offices in Bengaluru city and one office in Bengaluru Rural.
The action follows proceedings initiated by Lokayukta Justice B.S.Patil under the Karnataka Lokayukta Act.
According to Lokayukta officials,the inspections are aimed at examining possible negligence and corruption in the functioning of the Excise Department.
Officials are scrutinising records related to licence renewal applications, the number of excise violation cases registered,disposal of pending files,and overall administrative efficiency.
“The main objective of the search is to verify whether there has been negligence or corruption in the DC Excise offices with regard to licence renewal applications, action taken on violation cases, and other pending works.We will compile our findings and submit a detailed report to the Lokayukta,”an official said.
The inspections come amid heightened scrutiny of the Excise Department following the recent ED action against a senior excise official,signalling intensified efforts by investigating agencies to curb corruption within the department.
Further action,if any irregularities are found,will be taken based on the findings of the Lokayukta’s report.
