Following their letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 40 per cent commission in government projects, the Karnataka State Contractors' Association on Monday demanded a probe into corruption by a retired Supreme Court judge.
The state also requires an overhaul of the tender allotment process. The state government needs to bring in a transparent system in place for tenders and bill payments, association president D Kempanna told a news conference.
The association had written to PM Modi on July 6 when the previous BS Yediyurappa government was in power. Based on the letter, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has ordered a probe.
The association questioned the government on its silence over corruption at large. A high-level inquiry should be conducted to probe all the irregularities, association members have demanded.
If the government commits to the probe, the association is willing to share relevant documents with the authorities concerned, Kempanna said.
That apart, the government dues to contractors has accumulated to Rs 22,000 crore. Ever since 2018-19, there has been a slow down in bill payments, the association members said, adding that the government must factor in these pending dues, along with dues of ongoing works into the next budget. Works should be sanctioned only based on funds available, they further urged.
Meanwhile, the government's system of awarding large package of works to contractors is taking away opportunities from small contractors. The larger packages are also causing delay in completion of projects. The government must split projects into smaller components to ensure speedy completion and opportunities to all contractors, they demanded.
Also, the government must ensure that all tenders are awarded under Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act (KTPP) and no exemptions must be given, they sought.
The association will meet President Ramnath Kovind and PM Modi in person, the members said.
They specified that they were not accusing only the present government of corruption, but the irregularities had just increased year on year. Letters have also been written to Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, former JD(S) chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and all the MLAs, the association stated.
Since there has been no response to their appeals, to mark their protest, some one lakh contractors will come together in Bengaluru in January for a protest.
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