Corruption is the single biggest roadblock to development, way above poverty, population, illiteracy, terrorism. While all of us condemn this, it now appears more Bangaloreans are ready to pay bribes than their counterparts in Delhi or Mumbai.

This was revealed at Tuesday's flagging-off ceremony of the Vrath Yatra, a bus journey aimed at creating awareness about corruption as part of the Jaago Re campaign. Lokayukta Justice N Santhosh Hegde did the honours.

On Wednesday, Lokayukta Santosh Hegde executed a series of raids across Karnataka and netted seven officials with Rs 11.03 crore: an excise sub-inspector from Bangalore, a traffic ACP from Hubli, motor vehicles inspectors from Raichur and Bidar, a railway police inspector and a vigilance officer from Bangalore, and an assistant engineer from Gulbarga. Their assets run into crores of rupees, properties include palatial homes and farms, factories, flats, and even an earth mover. The sleuths are busy, sealing their properties and counting the monies.

The Lok Ayukta on Sunday issued a public notice, asking persons acquainted with the subject to make statements before July 23.

These were the words of Basavareddy V Lingadal, Kittur Circle police inspector, on Tuesday, when Lokayukta sleuths descended on his premises for a raid. The sleuths unearthed property worth over Rs 1.38 crore, as against Rs 27 lakh, which is his actual known income.

In the statewide raid, Lokayukta sleuths raided seven officials, including an excise DC, first division assistant with BDA, motor vehicles inspector, Mysore BEO, assistant labour commissioner and an assistant executive engineer - unearthing property worth over Rs 7 crore, which they had amassed beyond their known sources of income.

On Wednesday, the Lok Ayukta unearthed assets worth over Rs 57.92 lakh from him and are ascertaining the value of other properties, including a house in Raghupathi Agrahara and four acres of land, as well as gold.

Five weeks ago, the Lok Ayukta had raided the premises of Belgaum ZP CEO B B Naik and unearthed property disproportionate to his known sources of income. When Naik was produced in court, he sought to be produced in the judge's chamber instead.

Why did he run in such a panic? For Sharief knew of the sleuths' visit. They unearthed documents for property worth Rs 1.35 crore and cash from his house, whereas his entire 30 years' earnings would have come to just Rs 30 lakh.

Justice Hegde has warned the Departments of Mines and Geology and Forest that if they do not check illegal mining in Karnataka, the State would soon be devoid of its mineral wealth.

Bukkapattana taluk panchayat member Manjunath enlightened the members about the mismanagement in the various departments of the taluk along with facts and figures. On listening to this the members in unison demanded that situation should be corrected with immediate effect.

The Lokayukta had recommended the chief minister to remove the two ministers from the Cabinet for failing to submit their statements of assets and liabilities for the year 2005 to the Lokayukta within the prescribed date.

In his letter to commissioner for public instruction Madan Gopal on May 11, 2007, the Upa Lok Ayukta has taken exception to the department's decision to transfer P Asha Kumari, as assistant teacher at the government higher primary school, Cholanayakanahalli.

According to the police, traffic inspector Shivashanakar H Gadad was suspended a day after the video clipping that had purportedly shown him accepting Rs 1,000 from a manganese transporter reportedly to ply the truck via Hubli.

Lokayukta sources said that Srinivas was caught red handed while accepting Rs 5,000 as a bribe to install transformer from Capt. Madappa of Hulugunda near Siddapur yesterday.