Bommai promises probe into Bengaluru Smart City irregularities

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday assured the Legislative Council that he would order an inquiry if irregularities are found in the Bengaluru Smart City project.

Bommai, the Bengaluru city development minister, was responding to a question by Congress MLC P R Ramesh, who alleged that there were massive irregularities in the Smart City works.

Ramesh said funds released for the project were ‘looted’ and a majority of works taken up under the project had to do with roads. “Of the total Rs 800 crore paid for various works under the Smart City Project, Rs 450 crore was spent on roads,” he pointed out.

While Bommai said that the government will probe any irregularities, Ramesh demanded an audit of the 44 works taken up under the project.

Bommai explained that all works under the project are approved by a city-level advisory forum consisting of the Bangalore Central MP and MLAs representing the central business district. “They were the people who decided which works were required,” Bommai said, adding that one Congress MLA had sought more road works.

According to details tabled by Bommai, the government has allocated Rs 1,000 crore for Bengaluru under the Smart City project. Of this, Rs 804 crore has been released, including the state government’s share of Rs 414 crore.