PM must act on graft complaints

With the Karnataka government failing to initiate any action against repeated complaints of corruption in high places, many aggrieved parties have taken their complaints to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking redressal of their grievances. The latest instance is that of Santosh Patil, a BJP worker and contractor who has in a letter to Modi alleged that Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Minister K S Eshwarappa had demanded a bribe of nearly 40% for clearing bills to the tune of Rs 3 crore. According to Patil, the minister had directed him and a few other contractors to begin road works in Belagavi, promising that the work order would be issued later. This follows the government’s recent controversial move exempting works up to Rs 2 crore in rural areas from tendering. According to Patil, he had met Eshwarappa over 80 times and had also taken his complaint to Union RDPR Minister Giriraj Singh and BJP national general secretary B L Santosh, but it had all been to no avail. Eshwarappa has denied these charges. The plot has thickened with RDPR additional chief secretary L K Atheeq saying that no road works had even been authorised and so there was no question of any pending payment to Patil. The whole affair must be investigated.

Sometime ago, the Karnataka State Contractors’ Association had written to the Prime Minister that under the BJP government, over 40% of the cost of any project had to be paid as bribes. With no response coming from Modi, the Association has now decided to hold a massive protest. In another instance, a whistleblower had written to the Prime Minister about the involvement of key politicians and police officers in what came to be called the ‘bitcoin scam’. This, too, was brushed under the carpet. BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal had repeatedly accused the then CM B S Yediyurappa and his family of rampant corruption, but no probe was launched. Party MLC H Vishwanath has pointed to irregularities to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore in an irrigation tender.

Prime Minister Modi may be shying away from ordering probes into any of these matters because doing so would amount to admitting to corruption under the BJP, which would be embarrassing, especially in the run-up to Assembly polls in the state. But his failure to initiate action in these instances has not only disappointed those who had taken their grievances to him, it may have also further emboldened the corrupt. Having come to power on the promise of eradicating corruption, the least he can do is to act when complaints are brought directly to his notice.