Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Sunday alleged that officials in Hassan district were demanding large sums of money to clear files and facilitate official work.
Addressing a press conference in Hassan, he released what he described as 15 pages of WhatsApp conversations, which he claimed revealed demands for money to clear crusher-related files and land conversion proposals.
Reading out an excerpt from one of the purported conversations, Kumaraswamy said: “Your job is that of a broker, isn’t it? We have to pay the amount you give us to officials. From the small amount left over, I have to distribute it among everyone in my section. The driver, gunman, another personal assistant and everyone else have to be paid.”
He alleged that Rs 60 lakh had been demanded to clear three crusher-related files, of which Rs 50 lakh was meant for the senior official concerned and Rs 10 lakh for distribution among other staff. He also referred to alleged payments for land conversion and other official work.
Kumaraswamy further alleged that Rs 75 lakh had been paid to ensure that an official continued in a particular post.
He also read out a purported WhatsApp message in which the sender claimed to have arranged the money from different sources and handed it over through an intermediary.
Questioning the state government's commitment to tackling corruption, he said: “I have raised this issue because I genuinely want the government to put an end to such practices if it is sincere about tackling corruption. If such activities are curbed, we will be the first to felicitate the government.”
The Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel urged senior police officials to seize the mobile phones used in the alleged exchanges and conduct a detailed investigation.
There was no immediate reaction from the district authorities or the state government.
(With inputs from PTI)