BENGALURU: Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday ordered a probe into what he called ‘a big scam’ in the RO drinking water purifier units in the state. Several legislators, including those from his own ruling party, raised a storm over the issue. Yediyurappa said in the assembly that a joint select committee will probe the matter and its report will be tabled in the House in the coming session. Stating that the issue had come to his notice, Yediyurappa said, “This is a big scam.
At many RO plants, equipment and materials were lying unused. I see that in these plants, four times the money is spent. A detailed probe will be conducted by the joint select committee. It has to travel across the state and complete the probe wi thin two months.” Rural Development & Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Minister K S Eshwarappa said this issue had cropped up earlier too. The state government had then ordered a survey by Ipsos Research Pvt Ltd, an NGO.
“The survey showed that of the 18,500 pure drinking water units, 70 per cent were functioning, 26 per cent temporarily closed and 4 per cent permanently shut. We will again go for a probe,” he added . Venkat Reddy (BJP) raised the issue on non-functional water purifiers in villages in Yadgir during the question hour. Many members cutting across the party lines pointed out how ROs were not working in their constituencies. Many even said each RO would cost Rs 4 lakh, but the agency had claimed to have spent Rs 12 lakh. Basavaraj Yatnal (BJP) termed it as dacoity by a private agency.