Junior asked to probe senior's irregularities

The probe against Palike Engineer-in-Chief (EIC) B T Ramesh, for allegedly permitting laying of optical fibre cables (OFC) illegally, has hit a road block.

Palike Special Commissioner K R Niranjan, who was supposed to investigate the case, has assigned the job to Chief Engineer Prasad, who is Ramesh’s junior.

Two months ago, BBMP Commissioner M K Shankarlinge Gowda ordered a probe against B T Ramesh, when Yediyur ward corporator N R Ramesh and former deputy mayor S Harish levelled serious allegations against him stating that he granted permission illegally to government and private telecom firms to lay OFCs in the City.

This not only caused heavy revenue losses to the BBMP, but damaged roads, drains and other civic facilities, the corporator said. He alleged that the EIC bypassed the OFC cell in the BBMP, headed by Chief Engineer Prasad. Harish too charged the EIC with ignoring the rates fixed by the BBMP Council for laying OFCs and its annual rental value.

The Commissioner had then ordered a probe against B T Ramesh, saying the report would be out within a week. Now, it is two months and the investigation is nowhere near conclusion.

The probe changing hands is an indication that it may never reach its logical end, say
Palike sources. Although Prasad has taken all the files pertaining to the alleged illegalities into his custody, he has not started the probe yet. “I have taken the files into my custody but it is the Special Commissioner who will come out with the report,” said Prasad.

Niranjan maintained that he was presently working on the Palike’s annual budget and that he did not have time to probe the case. That was why he handed over the case to Prasad.