02/04/2016
Useful Informations: By Nimble Solutions, Courtesy: Bangalore Mirror:;
CCTVs at sub-registrar offices?:
By Suchith Kidiyoor, Bangalore Mirror Bureau | Mar 26, 2015, 04.00 AM IST
It is a common perception that sub-registrar offices are the most corrupt government offices in the state. Bribes and sub-registrar offices are almost synonymous. But soon, the same offices are likely to be the face of 'transparent administration' in Karnataka with the state government preparing to install CCTVs in all sub-registrar offices across the state.
In an effort to end rampant corruption, the revenue department has made plans to install CCTVs to ensure transparency in every transaction and also to keep touts at bay. V Sreenivasa Prasad, revenue minister, told the Legislative Council on Wednesday that a proposal to install CCTVs in all sub-registrar offices was under consideration.
"Even though several measures have been taken up to root out widespread corruption at these offices, we are going a step ahead and considering installing CCTVs. A detailed proposal has been pending before the department, which is examining it in detail," Prasad said. Interestingly, the state government, a few days ago, had suspended a sub-registrar in Mysuru district for installing CCTVs in his office at his own expense!
Installation not enough:
Apart from CCTVs, the government has already introduced a slew of measures to plug corruption. "Kaveri software of Stamps and Registration department has been synchronised with 'Bhoomi' software of the Revenue department. Registration of agricultural land has been made online. We have also decided to synchronise the BBMP property software with Kaveri software.
All these measures have put brakes on the officials-touts nexus and their illegal methods to create fake documents for registration of property papers," the minister detailed.
However, anti-corruption crusaders, though welcoming the move, opined that the move may not bring down corruption. Speaking to Bangalore Mirror, former Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde said, "I vouch for it and it is good to install CCTVs at sub-registrar offices. This helps people understand how these offices function. But installation alone would not bring down the deep-rooted corruption at these offices.
Earlier, touts used to operate from these offices. Following repeated raids by Lokayukta, their menace has come down considerably. Yet, corruption is still visible at these offices. Nowadays, middlemen operate from different places, perhaps even from the residences of officials!"
