Kept KRIDL out of my constituency, says Minister U T Khader

Khader said he appreciated the MLA for bringing the matter to light but maintained that Rai’s intention was not to tarnish the minister's image.

Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader  Photo | PTI

MANGALURU: In the wake of corruption allegations levelled by Congress MLA Ashok Kumar Rai against officials of the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Ltd (KRIDL), Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader on Wednesday said he had consciously avoided entrusting developmental works to the agency in his constituency, citing a lack of accountability.

Responding to Rai’s allegations, Khader said while rain damage restoration work in other Assembly constituencies of Dakshina Kannada were assigned to KRIDL, he had directed that no such work be entrusted to the agency in his constituency. “I had even given it in writing that no work should be delegated to KRIDL because they cannot be held accountable,” Khader told reporters.

He said departments such as the PWD and RDPR follow the tendering process for public works, unlike KRIDL. “Only in my constituency were rain damage works entrusted to the PWD, while other MLAs in the district assigned them to KRIDL,” he said.

Asked about Rai’s allegations, Khader said he appreciated the MLA for bringing the matter to light but maintained that Rai’s intention was not to tarnish the image of ministers. He has also written to Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to keep KRIDL Executive Engineer Vijay and Junior Engineer Prajwal under suspension till the inquiry into the allegations of corruption is over and to take strict action if they are found guilty.

LOP seeks CBI probe into KRIDL bribe case

Bengaluru: LoP in the Assembly R Ashoka demanded a CBI or Lokayukta probe into allegations that engineers are demanding bribes from contractors in the names of ministers. The LoP told media persons that the allegations made by Congress MLA K Ashok Kumar Rai prove rampant corruption in the state government, and Chief Minister DK Shivakumar should immediately dismiss the two ministers who are allegedly taking a 7% bribe in Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL). “When we made the allegation, they asked for documents. Now a Congress MLA himself has spoken about the commission,” Ashoka said.