Karnataka: With villagers, revenue inspector gives Gadag office a makeover

GADAG: When MA Nadaf took charge as revenue inspector at Dambal village in Mundargi taluk of Gadag district a year ago, he saw the office in pitiable condition — broken furniture, unclean toilets, filthy walls and damaged floor — and the entire building was overrun by riotous growth of wild plants.
No stranger to effecting a turnaround in office infrastructure, 37-year-old Nadaf started giving the building a clean look, besides replacing furniture with more functional and new pieces, in Dambal too.He carried out the makeover with friendly gesture from villagers, who appreciated the officer’s initiative in giving the office a leg-up.
Nadaf told TOI he hired an earthmover to remove the wild growth around the building. “I wanted to renovate the office within a certain budget. In appreciation of my voluntary efforts, Dambal villagers came forward to sponsor furniture and paintings. My contribution is minimal. Over a year’s time, the office has been renovated at a cost of Rs 1.2 lakh and my contribution might be about Rs 20,000,” he said.
Sources said Nadaf joined government service as a village accountant in Dambal at a very young age and later took up post-graduation courses. He is from Jantlishiroor village coming under Dambal, a revenue circle 21km from Gadag district headquarters.
Suresh Hadapad, a villager, donated seven chairs. Mallappa Mathad, who too handed in a chair, said the office which has jurisdiction on 25 villages now has a pleasant-looking waiting hall and a dedicated room for village accounts, who are now available on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Their contact numbers have been displayed at the office premises.
Gonibasappa Korlahalli, a social worker in Dambal, said Nadaf helped renovate Nadakacheri during his first posting in 2002. “When he was posted as a revenue inspector in Mundaragi taluk, he helped in modernizing the 40-year-old building with UPS and round-the-clock power supply,” he added.
In the Dambal office, stone slabs with red-oxide topping have replaced the broken tiles. Re-electrification has ensured smooth functioning of computers.
Nadaf said he has installed a complaint-and-suggestion box in the hall. “We try to redress the grievances within a week. If complaints are serious or against me, then this office forwards them to the tahsildar for appropriate action. Besides upgrading the UPS, we are planning a website for easy access to services ad documents,” he said, and urged the jurisdictional gram panchayat to build a wall for the office.