BELAGAVI: Igniting a debate over transparency in public contracting, Public Works Department Minister Satish Jarkiholi said the practice of offering “commissions” for government works “existed earlier, exists now and will continue in the future”.
Responding to allegations that contractors pay commissions to secure government projects, the minister told reporters that the issue would be difficult to eliminate entirely.
He blamed the previous BJP government for the current financial burden faced by infrastructure departments.
Jarkiholi revealed that there was nearly Rs 12,000 crore in pending dues in his department when the present government assumed office. While Rs 3,000 crore has already been cleared, payments worth Rs 9,000 crore are still pending.
“Development works cannot be stopped. Contractors naturally participate in tenders where they feel comfortable,” he said.
No question of admin lapses, says Jarkiholi
The minister clarified that the government has not approved new projects, but is instead attempting to balance payments within available budget limits. He dismissed allegations of administrative lapses, asserting that the financial crisis stemmed from largescale tenders issued during the previous government without adequate budgetary backing.
“We are only trying to manage the imbalance. The finance department keeps questioning approvals and the ministers concerned must respond individually,” he added, pointing to the blame game between political sides over corruption charges. Expressing helplessness, Jarkiholi said the focus should be on controlling commission practises rather than politicising allegations.
He suggested that complaints be brought before the chief minister or the Lokayukta for appropriate action, and alleged that infrastructure works were tendered during the BJP government’s tenure without financial support, leading to massive payment backlogs today. “The work has been completed, but payments require time,” the minister said, underlining the government’s struggle to clear accumulated liabilities.