JOIN USCM's tour leaves officials in a quagmire
This was noticed during the monthly meeting of zilla panchayat here on Friday when MLA H D Revanna demanded them to provide the details of expenses incurred in holding saree distribution function in the city.
He also threatened to sue them if information was denied to him. “I will sit here till I get correct information. The public money is being wasted. If you have released the money on directions from District Minister, admit it. I will sue the Minister,” he told officials.
The officials were seen struggling to give convincing reply to the former minister, even as Revanna fumed at the state government for wasting the tax payer’s money.
Revanna took Deputy Director of Women and Child Welfare Radhakrishna to task when the latter gave details of the expenses incurred on the CM’s convention.
He said the department had hired 289 buses to transport 15,295 beneficiaries from all the taluks. Out of the total ` 30 lakh set aside for the function, so far, ` 15 lakh had been released. About ` five lakh has been spent on pandal, ` 7.5 lakh on food and ` 1.5 lakh on the milk, he said.
At this juncture, the JD(S) leader intervened and sought to know whether ` 7.5 lakh had been spent on arranging food for the beneficiaries.
“The rates are inflated. The administration has fed BJP activists too. About ` 5 lakh has
been spent on pandal which is clear violation of the government rule. The department concerned has to call tender if the cost on putting up the pandal is more than ` 2 lakh,.”
He charged that the expenditure was against the rule book and estimates have not been prepared by any department. The ZP have to pass a resolution demanding filing a criminal case against the authorities for violating guidelines.
The two-hour debate ended after Revanna directed the ZP president to convene a special meeting on November 18 to discuss the amount being spent on the CM’s convention.
The meeting would also discuss damage caused to the crops and the properties in recent rains. ZP president Mahadevamma, vice-president S Dyavegowda, CEO S T Anjan Kumar, MLAs H K Kumaraswamy, MLC Patel Shivaram and others were present.