BENGALURU: Amid elections, there is always time to expose a scam and save people’s money. That’s what the Aam Aadmi Party believes. AAP communications chief, Brijesh Kalappa, explained that about Rs 223 crore had been spent by the government to transport senior government officials to their place of work and back over the last 74 months from 2017. However, more than 166 officials had complained they had never received the transport facility for about 6-7 months.
Some officials asked the accounts section in the government what happened to the money they were told had been allocated, but they complained they had not received transport. The accounts department asked them to prepare bills and submit it and some openly demanded a share from the finance section of the BBMP of what was allocated to them, he said. Kalappa demanded that the Election Commission conduct an investigation into the “illegality in the BBMP’’.
Addressing a press conference, Kalappa said, “As per a BBMP order, the BBMP provides vehicles to all the persons holding 166 posts from 2017-18. But of this, vehicles have not been distributed to 90 per cent of them. This plan is worth Rs.223 crore and where the money is being spent is a matter of investigation.” When contacted by TNIE, BBMP PRO was unable to respond to the issue, and requested that the department concerned be contacted. BBMP Chief Accounts Officer Vani Ningappa unavailable for comment.
‘JOSHI, SANTHOSH IN RACE TO BE CM’
Dwelling on who will become the chief minister if BJP comes to power, Kalappa said, “HD Kumaraswamy had said that Pralhad Joshi may become the chief minister if BJP comes to power. Now, Jagadish Shettar has alleged that BL Santhosh is trying to become the CM. This shows that there will be a fight between Joshi and Santhosh.
Five neighbouring constituencies of Bengaluru - Jayanagar, Basavanagudi, Chickpet, Rajajinagar and Chamarajpet have candidates of the same caste. This will have a big impact on the BJP.’’ Sources said that BL Santhosh was instrumental in pitting his “Manasa putra”, Mahesh Tenginkai in Hubballi against Shettar.