Under Udasi, PWD was a den of corruption: DVS

Former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Sunday said former Public Works Department (PWD) minister C M Udasi had conspired with others to get him removed as chief minister as he took steps to check  large-scale corruption and irregularities that were taking place in the Public Works department (PWD).

Addressing presspersons ahead of the BJP’s Vijaya Sankalpa Yatra here, Gowda said unprecedented corruption and irregularities had taken place in the PWD during the first three years of the BJP government’s rule in the State.

“It is no exaggeration that such massive corruption had not taken place in any other department,” he observed.

“As chief minister, when I transferred certain key PWD officials who were encouraging corruption, Udasi hatched a conspiracy against me and ganged up with others to get me removed from the post,” Gowda said.

The former chief minister alleged that after Udasi took over as the PWD minister, one had to pay three per cent commission for getting tender applications and 10 per cent commission for getting the bills cleared by the department. Udasi used to collect commissions through his relatives, he added.

He recently resigned as minister and joined Karnataka Janata Party (KJP).