BENGALURU: Disregarding norms on civil works, the Karnataka Legislative Assembly Secretariat has awarded tenders worth Rs 75 lakh to an electrical contractor for renovation in the Speaker’s chamber on the third floor of Vidhana Soudha. Rules governing the Karnataka Public Works Department (KPWD) say that all government-related civil work should be executed by the department.
As per documents available with Express, most of the renovation work at Room Nos. 125 and 125/A was civil work. But surprisingly, the work was awarded to an electrical contractor. The documents were accessed by a social activist under the Right to Information Act.
According to sources in the Assembly Secretariat, a complaint in this regard has reached the office of the Chief Secretary. Speaking to Express, an official said, “A copy of the complaint filed by a social activist with the Chief Secretary has been sent to us. In the complaint, the activist demanded for a detailed inquiry into the tender process.”
The work order was given to the electrical contractor on February 22. Documents show that the contractor was not just awarded civil works, but also assigned the task of purchasing furniture worth lakhs of rupees for the Speaker’s chamber. Of the works estimated to cost Rs 75 lakh, electrical work was just Rs 8 lakh, which included providing cascade and AC.
When contacted, Speaker K B Koliwad refused to comment. “I don’t know anything about it. Write whatever you want,” he fumed.
Advocate V Prakash pointed out, “As per state government rules, civil works should be carried out by a contractor with a valid civil contractor’s licence from the PWD. For electrical contractors, the licence is issued by the Chief Electrical Controller of Karnataka.”