Palike meeting lost in din
The issue of alleged financial irregularities to the tune of Rs 483 crore vanished into the thin air as ruckus and chaos marked the Palike Council meeting, for the second day, on Friday.
Hanumanthnagar corporator K Chandrashekhar (Congress) alleged that Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL) was entrusted with multiple work in the year 2009-10 in the City, without inviting tenders citing exemption under Section 4 (G) of the Karnataka Transparency Act. Chandrashekar submitted documents to substantiate his claims.
Denying Chandrashekhar’s allegations, BBMP Commissioner M K Shankarlinge Gowda said that BBMP had released only Rs 265 crore since 2003 to the KRIDL and not Rs 483 crore. Gowda said the KRIDL had first carried out works worth Rs 125 crore from 2003 to 2006, Rs 67 crore worth work in 2009-10 and finally Rs 73 crore worth projects in 2010-11. He also denied the allegations that the BBMP took refuge under Section 4 (G) of the Transparency Act to hand over the work, without calling for tenders.
JD(S) Floor Leader Padmanabha Reddy said entrusting the work to KRIDL meant that the Palike was shelling out 10 per cent extra in the form of a different kind of cess and
taxes.
While Chandrashekar was elaborating on the issue, a verbal duel ensued between him and the BJP corporator P N Sadashiva who asked him not to tarnish the Palike’s image by levelling false allegations. His statement,
“Despite being a seasoned politician, Chandrashekhar should be ashamed of misleading the Palike,” led to ruckus in the House leading to adjournment for a while. When the House resumed, Sadashiva demanded an apology after the Congress members made the derogatory statement a prestige issue.
