Bengaluru: Excise minister KM Shivalingegowda Wednesday insisted that he had only asked people to “treat govt officials respectfully” and “thank” them after their work is completed and not to pay bribes.Shivalingegowda was accused of promoting bribery and corruption when he told people at a Prajaseva programme in Hassan “it is your dharma to respectfully pay govt officials after they complete your work”.At a news conference in Bengaluru, Shivalingegowda said several farmers had complained during the Prajaseva programme that surveyors were demanding bribes. “I had said that it is our duty to treat officials respectfully and express gratitude after the work is done. This was portrayed as asking people to pay bribes,” he said. “I come from a rural background and speak colloquially. There may have been a difference in perception on the words used. When I said ‘show respect’, I did not mean ‘pay a bribe’. A choice of words should not be blown out of proportion.”He said he faced criticism for his remarks, and opposition parties used them to target the govt. He said: “I did not ask anyone to give money. No one needs to pay even Rs 10 to any official. My intention was only to ask people to maintain cordial relations with officials and thank them for their work. There is no question of paying money to get work done.”The minister said he had directed deputy commissioners to investigate allegations of officials demanding bribes and ensure money was returned to those who were forced to pay.Meanwhile, Voice of People, an organisation based in Mysuru, filed a complaint against Gowda with the Lokayukta over his remarks. On Tuesday, a group of advocates filed a complaint with Hassan district Lokayukta police accusing the excise minister of abetting bribery and corruption.For the first time, a dashboard will be set up in Hassan to monitor the grievance-redressal process. The dashboard, to be supervised by the deputy commissioner, will display details of grievances raised by the public, time taken by officials to address them, and status of each complaint, Shivalingegowda said.
