JOIN USHumiliated for exposing scams after scams, the chief engineer of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike's vigilance cell, N Devaraj, has opted for voluntary retirement.
The BBMP corporators had targeted Devaraj on Thursday at the Palike Council meeting for being instrumental in freezing “bogus’’ works worth Rs 532 crore. The works were supposed to be carried out under the special grants for ministers, MLAs, Mayor, Deputy Mayor and BBMP standing committee members. But, it was alleged, there were plans to use the funds by the elected representatives to contest elections.
Rajarajeshwari Nagar MLA Munirathna had on Thursday questioned the veracity of the probe report when, according to him, none of the team members had been to the spot.
Dr Rajkumar Ward corporator demanded that Devaraj be shunted out from the Technical Vigilance Cell under Commission (TVCC) and sent to the zones or divisions of the BBMP, where he will learn how difficult it is to get the works done. Corporators like Mohammed Rizwan Nawab and M Srinivas had demanded that the TVCC be disbanded for freezing the works.
Stung by the allegations, Devaraj on Friday morning applied for voluntary retirement. In its most likelihood, his application will be accepted in five days.
Confirming that Devaraj had applied for voluntary retirement, BBMP commissioner Siddaiah said: “He (Devaraj) was quite disturbed when he submitted his application.”
Later, speaking to Deccan Herald, Devaraj said: “It has become very difficult for me to work in the BBMP. The present commissioner is strong enough to protect his subordinates and hits back at those targeting people like us. But once he retires on May 31, who will protect us? We do not know how his successor will approach us. It is better to quit than staying here under unfavourable circumstances.”
Devaraj had exposed many financial irregularities worth several thousand crores of rupees. He was instrumental in exposing the fake bill scam worth Rs 1,539 crore in three constituencies of Gandhinagar, Malleswaram and Rajarajeshwari Nagar.
As a result of bringing to fore the scams, he was made to face Kangaroo Court of sorts at the BBMP Council meeting on November 30, 2011, where the corporators rising above their political differences, demanded his suspension.