Replying to charges levelled by JD(S) floor leader H D Revanna in the Assembly, Ashok said the Union government has made it mandatory for all States to adopt the HSRP to prevent misuse of vehicles by anti-national elements.
Revanna alleged that an irregularity to the tune of Rs 400 crore has been committed in the State Transport Department in awarding the contract. The contact has been awarded to a Mumbai-based company at an exorbitant rate. The same company had implemented the project in West Bengal at much lesser rate -- the company has charged Rs 550 for a two-wheeler and Rs 1,200 for a four-wheeler in Karnataka, while in West Bengal, it had charged only Rs 350 for a two-wheeler and Rs 440 for a four-wheeler.
Ashok offered to submit all the documents pertaining to the project to the Speaker for his perusal. The minister said the tendering process had been initiated by the then Transport Minister Mallikarjun Kharge.