Lokayukta inspection on RTO check posts reveals discrepancies

Bengaluru: The Lokayukta police on Tuesday held simultaneous inspections of Regional Transport Office (RTO) checkposts in at least eight districts, which revealed unaccounted-for cash and other discrepancies.

The inspections were conducted on directions from Karnataka Lokayukta Justice BS Patil following complaints of the involvement of middlemen and the staff fleecing the public.

The inspections were held at 2:30 am at the checkposts in Srinivaspur and Nangali (Kolar district), Zalki (Vijayapura), Hagari (Ballari), Bagepalli (Chikkaballapur), Attibele (Bengaluru Rural), Gundlupete (Chamarajnagar), Humnabad (Kalaburagi) and Nipani (Belagavi).

According to a Lokayukta statement, officials found Rs 2 lakh unaccounted-for cash in Zalki, Rs 45,000 each in Hagari and Attibele, Rs 42,000 in Humnabad, and Rs 13,500 in Nipani. The officials said that during the search in Hagari, some cash was thrown out of the window, which was also recovered.

“Prima facie, it is found that checkposts officials were using private persons and home guard staff to illegally collect money,” the statement said, adding that further probe has been initiated.