KRIDL corruption: Sack two Ministers, hand over probe to CBI, says Karnataka BJP

Bengaluru, Sep 3 (IANS) Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Karnataka Leader of Opposition (LoP) R. Ashoka has demanded that the state government immediately dismiss two Ministers allegedly involved in a seven per cent commission racket in the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL) and hand over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Congress MLA from Puttur, Ashok Kumar Rai, had urged Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to order an impartial inquiry into alleged misconduct by two KRIDL officials in Mangaluru.

He alleged contractors were harassed, threatened and pressured to pay up to seven per cent of project costs in the name of senior Ministers and “KRIDL charges”.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Ashoka said the allegations were not being made by the Opposition BJP or JD-S but by Congress MLA Ashok Kumar Rai, who had officially written to the state government seeking action against corruption in KRIDL.

“Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had said that anyone who takes a bribe should call him. Now, a Congress MLA himself has officially written a letter alleging that an additional seven per cent is being collected in KRIDL and that contractors who question it are being threatened. This is an important piece of evidence as the allegation has come from a legislator belonging to the ruling party (Congress),” the LoP added.

He alleged that the Congress government had turned the administration into a “commission government”, claiming that officials had also begun behaving like “rowdies” after the Congress came to power in Karnataka.

“If Rs 100 is released, only Rs 30 worth of work is carried out, while the remaining 70 per cent goes towards commission,” he alleged.

Ashoka said the Opposition BJP and JD-S had earlier been asked to produce documentary evidence when it raised allegations of corruption, but a Congress MLA had now himself raised the issue of commissions.

He alleged that the District In-charge Minister and the concerned departmental Minister were collecting commissions every month.

“One Minister has already resigned over corruption, yet these two Ministers have no fear. This seven per cent commission even reaches Rahul Gandhi,” the LoP alleged.

Ashoka claimed that around Rs 800 crore could have been collected through the alleged commission system and reiterated his earlier allegation that Karnataka had been turned into an “ATM”.

He cited previous allegations raised by Congress leaders, saying B.R. Patil had spoken about commissions in the Housing Department, while Basavaraj Rayareddy had written a letter regarding alleged corruption in the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB).

He also said he had personally submitted audio recordings and documents regarding alleged irregularities involving R.B. Thimmapur.

“If the state government has any sense of responsibility, it should have dismissed the two Ministers. The case based on the allegations made by Congress MLA Rai should be handed over to the Lokayukta or the CBI for investigation,” Ashoka demanded from the state government.

The LoP also opposed the proposed legislation concerning the use of park land, alleging that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar was allowing encroachment of parks through the Bill under pressure from the real estate lobby.

He urged both the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP and JD-S to protect public parks and demanded that the state government withdraw the Bill instead of merely allowing a debate on it.

Ashoka recalled that a Congress government had brought in legislation around 40 years ago allowing parks and playgrounds to be used for other purposes, but withdrew it following protests.

The LoP also questioned the state government’s plans for the tunnel road project, alleging that there was no need for parking facilities and that the state government had decided to use space at Lalbagh for constructing a mall.

Ashoka announced that the BJP would hold protests across Bengaluru’s parks on September 5 and September 6 against the proposed changes.

“We will collect signatures from citizens and submit them to the Governor. We will launch a campaign with the message ‘Save Parks, Save Bengaluru’,” he said.

Responding to criticism of the BJP’s ongoing padayatra, Ashoka said the Congress, to, had undertaken padayatras when it was in Opposition and that such programmes were not by its very nature political.

–IANS

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