BENGALURU: A sitting corporator, a former corporator and two officials of Mysuru City Corporation are set to face the music with Upa Lokayukta recommending action against them for allegedly misusing funds. They allegedly used money from the schedule caste welfare fund for constructing non-existing ‘community halls’ in two wards of Ashokapuram in Mysuru, the home town of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. What is interesting is that these two wards with a population of 25,000 have 26 community halls, of which 12 do not exist although money was drawn for their construction in Wards 7 and 9 of Ashokapuram.
According to the inquiry report, the accused had drawn money showing existing temples in the wards as community halls. The accused are Corporator Purushotham (Ward No. 7) and former corporator Prabhumurthy (Ward No.9), then assistant commissioner H K Devaraju and Assistant Executive Engineer Narayanaprasad.Upa Lokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi, who retired recently, submitted the report recommending that the state government cancel Purushotham’s membership, corporator, Mysuru City Corporation, and initiate action against Prabhumurthy under the Karnataka Municipal Act, as prima facie allegations against them were found to be true.
Justice Adi also recommended the government to entrust the matter to initiate departmental enquiry against Devaraju and Narayanaprasad under the Karnataka Civil Service (Conduct) Rules, 1966.
Justice Adi has ordered the state government that the report on compliance of this order be submitted within three months.
While observing that the accused conducted themselves as unbecoming of public servants, Justice Adi recommended to the government that investigation was needed to check similar scams in other city corporation limits as well. The inquiry was conducted by the Upa Lokayukta on receiving a complaint from S Chidambara, a resident of Ashokapuram in Mysuru. The complainant alleged that the accused misused `2.13 crore meant for scheduled caste by creating forged documents to show they had constructed 26 community halls in two wards between 2008 and 2011.
Halls that don’t exist
These community halls are yet to be constructed in Ashokapuram, though funds have already been drawn for them.
Dr BR Ambedkar Community Hall, B Basavalingappa Circle
Dr BR Ambedkar Community Hall, 1st Cross
Adidravida Community Hall, 13th Cross
Chamdeshwara Community Hall, 13th Cross
Mahalakshmi Community Hall, 8th Cross
Ramalingeshwara Community Hall, 4th Cross
Mahalingeshwara Community Hall, 13th Cross