VITTAL : An over three year long fight against the lackadaisical approach of the Bantwal CDP Office staff which had deprived little Madhura of being a beneficiary of the Bhagya Lakshmi Shceme of the state government, has finally yielded result with the District Consumer Court in its ruling slapping a penalty of Rs 10,000 on the Bantwal Child Development Project Officer for dereliction of duty.
Apart from the fine, the officer will also have to pay additional Rs 1000 to the child’s parents towards court expenses.
Madhura is the daughter of Gopalkrishna-Sumathi couple of Chelladka in Bantwal taluk. The couple belong to scheduled tribe had applied on 15-3-2007 under the Bhagyalakshmi scheme of the government, in the name of Madhura. Though there is a rule that the application has to be cleared within 15 days of its submission, the CDP officer had cleared the application and recommended selection of Madhura as a beneficiary on 9-5-2007. But the staff in the office had retained the documents with them for as long as 20 months without forwarding the same to the Deputy/Assistant Director of the District Women and Child Development Department. The reason for the delay was Gopalkrishna’s refusal to yield to their demand for bribe. But by the time the file reached the office of the District Women and Child Development Department it was too late and the application was returned on the grounds that it was submitted after the last date.
Finally, Madhura’s parents moved the District Consumer Court against the Bantwal CDP officer and Deputy Director of the District Women and Child Development Department.
The Court has now ruled in favour of Gopalkrishna making him a much relieved man.
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