Puttur, 2 September 2026: Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai said complaints have been filed against government officials when repeated warnings to address public grievances and alleged harassment of contractors failed to bring corrective action.
Speaking to the media, Rai said officials who cause difficulties to the public would first be advised to correct their conduct, and complaints would be filed if they failed to respond.
He said the Chief Minister had directed that complaints of public harassment by government officials be taken seriously. In this regard, a letter has also been sent to the higher authorities of the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Corporation (KRIDL), he said.
Ashok kumar Rai alleged that KRIDL engineers had been warned about a week earlier regarding payments to contractors. He said legally permissible deductions should be limited to around 2–3%, and questioned the demand for a 7% payment from contractors instead of utilising the sanctioned funds for the intended works.
He alleged that the practice continued despite the warning and that contractors were subsequently threatened, prompting the filing of a complaint. Ashok kumar Rai also said a complaint had been filed against a Higher Education Superintendent after a file was allegedly kept pending for 22 days. “Public representatives cannot remain silent after coming to know about irregularities,” Rai said, adding that efforts would be made to address issues that come to their notice.
He acknowledged that completely eliminating corruption from the administrative system may not be possible but said the focus should be on reducing it as much as possible.
Gruel-meal (Ganji) facility for people visiting MLA's office
Ashok kumar Rai said a large number of people visit his office with grievances and applications related to government schemes. Since resolving some matters takes time, a gruel-meal facility has been arranged so that visitors do not have to remain hungry while waiting.
According to Rai, people from outside Puttur are also visiting the office, with the number of visitors crossing 750. He said many people who visit on Mondays come with the intention of accessing government schemes and meet him before leaving. Women are given priority for grievance submission, followed by men, he added.