Justice Nagamohan Das
Credit: DH Pool Photo
Bengaluru: The Justice HN Nagamohan Das Commission, which was tasked with the responsibility of investigating the discrepancies in the works taken up by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) between 2019-20 and 2022-23, has found a number of irregularities in the works taken up by the civic body. On Saturday, the commission submitted an exhaustive report of 8,900 pages to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Of all the works that were executed during the said period, the commission investigated about 761 completed works. Of this, 528 were selected randomly. The random works were selected based on an algorithm that was designed by the experts from the statistics and economics department.
According to sources, the commission has found four major lapses: procedural irregularities, legal violations, sub-standard works, and failure in the accounts section.
The commission conducted the investigations based on their observations after visiting the locations where the works were taken up and by studying the documents and accounts related to these works. According to well placed sources, close to Rs 14,000 crore works taken up under the smart city project were under focus.
Along with flagging these discrepancies, the commission has also recommended action against officials and contractors who have erred.
The commission has also suggested a few systemic reforms and procedural changes to prevent irregularities and corruption in the future. Maintaining the road history record was among one of the many suggestions by the commission.
Sources said that the commission had opined that maintenance of road history improves transparency, helps fix responsibility, prevents officials from taking up unwanted works, and prevents duplication of works.
In August, 2023, based on the complaints and a letter by the Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, the government had set up four special investigation teams headed by IAS officers to look into irregularities in works related to road infrastructure, lakes, storm water drains, and solid waste management.
However, the move was questioned in the high court and subsequently, in December, 2023, the teams were dissolved. Later, the investigation was handed over to the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission.