When Kavitha, Superintendent of Police, Anti-Corruption Bureau (Southern Zone, Mysuru), inaugurated the ACB police station here on May 4, the officials expected petitions to pour in.
The institution, established to eliminate corruption, has totally failed to get adequate response. Since its inauguration, the ACB station has received only seven petitions and no first-information-reports (FIR) have been registered.
The station was set up at a government building, previously the residence of the Assistant Director for the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports, at Subhash Nagar here. A Deputy Superintendent of Police, two inspectors, one head constable and three police constables were posted there.
The officials were instructed to receive complaints of corruption from the public, register and investigate them, sources at the ACB, Bengaluru, told The Hindu .
Lack of publicity
People attribute the poor response to lack of sufficient publicity.
Though the ACB was established three months ago, the district got its station on May 4 and there was no publicity for the opening event. However, a communiqué was released on May 7.
Since the opening, no measures have been taken to publicise it at taluk and hobli centres, Ravi, a resident of Holalu, said.
Petitions
According to sources, the ACB has not registered any FIRs regarding the received petitions, as all are related to civil disputes or out of the purview of the ACB.
While on person has submitted a petition requesting inquiry against the government library for violating rules while purchasing books, another petitioner had demanded action against a private training institute for collecting more fees from students. The remaining are related to encroachment of government and private properties, ACB sources said.
Helpline
The ACB will now hold awareness programmes to publicise the bureau as well as to educate the public to use of the institution, an ACB officer said.
When contacted, an officer at the ACB, Mysuru, said: “We will instruct the officials concerned to display the contact number [08232-221230] of the ACB station.”
