BENGALURU: Hitting out at Prime Minister Modi’s charge against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of running a “10% commission” government, Congress MLC V S Ugrappa has charged BJP’s CM candidate B S Yeddyurappa of receiving Rs 4.11 crore in kickbacks for awarding a tender when he was CM. Speaking to reporters here on Friday, Ugrappa said Yeddyurappa had received Rs 4.11 crore from RNS Infrastructure Ltd (RNSIL) for awarding Rs 1,033 crore tender as part of Upper Bhadra Project for Murudeshwara Power Corporation Ltd, a subsidiary of RNSIL.
Releasing the I-T Department documents and returns filed by Yeddyurappa during 2009-10, 20110-11 and 2011-12, Ugrappa said Yeddyurappa who was CM from May 2008 to July 2011 had received bribes of Rs 1 crore each in 2008-09, and 2009-10 and Rs 2.11 crore in 2010-11, totalling to Rs 4.11 crore from RNSIL for awarding the contracts. As chairman of Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited, Yeddyurappa awarded tenders of the Upper Bhadra Project to Murudeshwara Power Corporation Ltd. Since Yeddyurappa had not disclosed these amounts in his returns, the I-T Department had issued an order in 2016, directing him to pay penalty of Rs 2.22 crore, he said. Bribes received by Yeddyurappa were unearthed during the I-T searches/seizures at offices of RNSIL in Bengaluru and Hubballi, he added. “In the I-T assessment year 2009-10, Yeddyurappa declared income of Rs 30,70,370; Rs 26,53,320 in 2010-11; and Rs 57,70,420 in 2011-12,” Ugrappa said and questioned the moral credibility of Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah to point fingers at the Siddaramaiah government.
BJP clarifies on Ugrappa’s claim
The state BJP, while clarifying Ugrappa’s charges against Yeddyurappa, has said “similar allegations were made earlier too and Yeddyurappa had rebutted them. The Lokayukta police, who had conducted a probe following a private complaint have filed a B-report already closing the case.” As for the notice issued by T-T Department with regard to his tax returns, Yeddyurappa has already filed a clarification to the department.