No tab on fuel guzzling GHMC officials

HYDERABAD: At a crucial time when the government is urging people to consume fuel judiciously amid rising prices and plunging rupee, its officers are not practising what their bosses have been preaching.
Responding to an RTI query, the deputy commissioner's office of GHMC has said they do not maintain log books of government vehicles under their purview.Worse, enquiries have revealed that it has been the regular practice in all the 18 divisions under the GHMC limits.
Almost 3,600 litres of fuel is allotted every month for vehicles of deputy commissioners of the GHMC and according to the rules the office concerned should have a log book with complete details of fuel consumption.
The details of the usage are supposed to be submitted to the administration from time to time and the worrying fact is there seems to be absolutely no accountability of the fuel usage.
"I had filed this RTI based on my personal experience," said city-based RTI activist V Madhu Babu.
"I had gone to meet deputy commissioners several times but most of the times they were never in office. I was told that either they were in meetings or busy on the field. Just to confirm this I filed an RTI and was appalled to get this reply," Madhu Babu said.
"Not only did they give a written reply saying they do not maintain a log book of the vehicles but also said that they do not have an official daily record book pertaining to the deputy commissioner," he said.
The activist is now planning to take up this issue in a big way so that authorities will wake up and bring in accountability in government departments.
"I will approach the Lok Ayukta as well the as vigilance department on this. Being a citizen of this country we have every right to know how these officials are discharging their duties. But there seems to be no transparency at all, raising doubts over honesty in their functioning," he added.
The officials under various circles more or less admitted doing away with the practice of maintaining log books.
"We just get 200 litres per month so now who will make note of every litre used," said a superintendent of a circle, who refused to give his name.
"The driver of the vehicle maintains a note and we take it from him towards the end of the month," said another official, but failed to show the note when requested.
GHMC officials concerned could not be reached despite repeated attempts for comments.