50-page note by Energy Dept for probe into Congress era solar 'scam'

The BJP government is considering asking the Lokayukta to probe allegations of irregularities in the tender process to set up solar power units when the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government was in power.

According to sources, the energy department has recommended that an inquiry committee comprising experts be constituted to look into ‘several suspicions’ in the tender process that was followed when the Congress was in power.

Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar was the energy minister then.

A 50-page note has been submitted making a case for an inquiry to be ordered.

“It needs to be inquired whether or not the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act was violated when applications were invited and approved in just eight minutes for the setting up of solar power units worth Rs 2,100 crore,” the note states.

“Going by an estimate that Rs 7-8 crore will be invested on one 1-MW solar power unit, it seems as though public accountability rules were thrown to the wind by approving 330 MW production in just eight minutes,” it states.

“It is not logical for 136 land-holding farmers to have filled up the online application over 10 stages in the first 120 seconds. According to a report by the e-governance department, there were 295 applications that were received in just eight minutes. The then minister (Shivakumar) had claimed that there were 10,000 applications. This is a fit case for inquiry,” it states.

Among the selected applications for solar power units were that of Congress MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar’s brother Channaraj Hattiholi, who is now an MLC.

Also, Laxmi’s mother Girija Hattiholi was among the applicants.

“In August 2014, Channaraj and Girija had purchased agricultural land just one month before the online application process. Their applications were admitted in just 52 seconds from the start of the process. This raises the question of whether this was a pre-planned irregularity,” the note states.

Energy Minister V Sunil Kumar had charged earlier that there were power-related scams in the previous Congress government.

The ruling BJP has intensified its attacks on alleged scams during the Siddaramaiah government ever since the Congress came up with its viral ‘PayCM’ campaign, targeting Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Reacting to this, Shivakumar said: “I have already said that documents related to the alleged power-related scams should be given to the CBI.”