Mysuru: Vijay Bhaskar IAS, has submitted his investigation report as mandated by the State government on the alleged 100 crore corruption scam in the ATI during the term of Amitha Prasad IAS as first reported by Rashmi V. Mahesh.

In her report Rashmi said that large-scale irregularities were committed between 2008 and 2014 — when another IAS officer Amita Prasad was the DG of ATI — resulting in loss of over Rs.100 crore to the state government.

The report also observed that at ATI — where gazetted probationers of the Karnataka Civil Services undergo training — posts were created by Prasad without necessary sanctions. Moreover, contract staffs were absorbed without sanction orders; faculty was appointed directly without application and selection process; and three manpower agencies were chosen without issuing tenders.

The whistle blowing IAS officer was subsequently attacked by contract staff of the institute at the instigation of the beneficiaries of the corruption it is alleged.

Feeling the heat, the state Govt. instituted an enquiry into her report.

The report does not implicate Amitha Prasad directly,  but has said that corruption  occurred during her term and further investigation is necessary to book those directly responsible.

The State Government has however, issued notice to Amitha Prasad and asked her to answer within 15 days

Upright officer targeted

She’s an upright IAS officer, but the state government is no mood to appreciate that.  In late October, senior IAS officer Rashmi V. Mahesh was assaulted by the contact staff at the Administrative Training Institute (ATI) in Mysore, following which she revealed that she was attacked for her probe report into a scam at the institute. But now the state government has issued her a notice for revealing details of theRs.100-crore scam at ATI.

Rashmi, who was the director general (DG) of ATI, suffered injuries, including a blood clot in her head, injury in her eye, but was undeterred and revealed the same to the media. Apparently, Rashmi blew the whistle after the state government chose to remain silent over her inquiry report into the scam.

She has now been transferred from the post of DG, ATI.

Known for taking the mighty head-on, Rashmi was shunted from one posting to another in the past after she refused to toe the government’s diktat. When she was the Medical Education Department secretary, the government had sent her on “forced leave” after Rashmi refused to entertain requests from politicians – who manage medical colleges in Karnataka – over seat-sharing matrix.

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