BENGALURU: A day after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah censured BBMP engineers for shoddy civic works, N R Ramesh, leader of the ruling BJP in the BBMP Council, put the blame on Congress workers.
He claimed that the government has entrusted Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Ltd (KRIDL) to take up asphalting and other road works, worth around `560 crore, but KRIDL has, in turn, sub-contracted the work to contractors associated with the Congress.
Ramesh said works worth `483 crore were allotted to nine contractors who are also Congress workers. He said the works had started 18 months ago but the progress is less than 40 per cent in most projects. He added that as the projects were handed over to KRIDL, they were listed as emergency works, and so no tenders were called. Ramesh demanded a Lokayukta probe into the matter.
Problem of Plenty
Ramesh said at least four officials come to the BBMP office every day carrying recommendation letters from the Chief Minister.
“The are just sent to the BBMP without a background check. Many of them are facing corruption charges. The Chief Minister is just dumping officials on the BBMP,” Ramesh charged.