20 Hescom staff suspended over Rs 86 crore scam

A total of 20 officials of Hubballi Electricity Supply Company Limited’s (Hescom) Athani division, including five assistant executive engineers (AEE), have been suspended with immediate effect for the alleged irregularities committed in implementing Ganga Kalyan and drinking water and flood relief.

The Hescom general manager, following the instruction by Energy Minister V Sunil Kumar, has ordered suspension of the officials pending enquiry. Seven officials have been punished with transfers. The departmental enquiry report points out to misappropriation of Rs 86 crore by the officials in question.

Suspended officers are: S H Bahuroopi (AEE-Chikkodi sub-division); R H Kallari (AEE-Aigali sub-division); Geetha G Kadlaskar (AEE-Ugara sub-division); G V Sampannavar (AEE-Vijayapura) V G Nayak (AEE-Belagavi Rural sub-division-1); B M Patil (Accounts officer-Athani); Y S Kelagade (Asst accounts officer-Athani); V A Gani, S B Bullagouda, D K Kambale and R C Rathod (all assistant engineers); S A Parthanahalli, N B Nemannavar, B S Sheelvantar, S B Mahishawadagi and G S Kolkar (all junior engineers); M K Kulkarni (senior assistant)C K Hiremath (operator) and K S Thakkannavar (meter reader).

Several farmer leaders had lodged complaints that several Hescom officers had indulged in rampant corruption in executing works, thereby causing huge losses to state exchequer. The farmer organisation had staged protests in Athani in this regard.

A team of executive engineer and auditors has taken up a comprehensive probe into the irregularities in executing the government schemes in the Athani Hescom division.

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