VIJAYAPURA: Raichur Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) official Kariyappa Kallur has received an overwhelming response from readers of 'The New Indian Express' after the report ‘No bribe, please! How an officer is fighting corruption’ was published on November 27.
Impressed by the story about the RIMS office superintendent, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education and Labour Suresh Kumar personally contacted the TNIE correspondent and collected his number.
Speaking to TNIE, Suresh Kumar said, “In an era of social media where negativity spreads faster, stories like this give positivity. I personally spoke to Kariyappa about his experience. I want to draw attention to him on various platforms so that people get inspired by him,” he added.
Sharing details about their conversation, Kariyappa told TNIE, “I was shocked that Minister Suresh Kumar himself called to congratulate me and appreciate my initiative. I never thought I would get such a response from the government. I thank ‘The New Indian Express’ for creating this memorable moment in my life.”
“The Minister asked about my inspiration. I told him that an IAS officer from Andhra Pradesh inspired me to put up the board against corruption. He also collected my residential and professional details and invited me to his office in Bengaluru. I requested him to make alterations in the education system. He promised to make changes in the future,” said a delighted Kariyappa.
Meanwhile, he received over 50 calls from across the state on Wednesday, with people appreciating his initiative and congratulating him.
“I didn’t do this to become popular in society. Instead, I wanted to create awareness among the public. It has worked and people now speak with the hope that their work will get done without shelling out a penny from their pockets. It is the responsibility of every government employee to create such an environment in his or her office,” urged the 68-year-old Kariyappa.