BENGALURU: Former minister and senior BJP leader Suresh Kumar has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take steps to ensure that the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) does not make any payments to contractors till the Lok Sabha elections are over.
In a letter to the commission, Kumar said, “There needs to be a check on BDA on payments of Rs 1,000-2,000 crore disbursed to contractors to take up works in Shivaram Karanth Layout, while the restrictions under the Model Code of Conduct are in force. The funds were generated by mortgaging corner sites in Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout.”
He also cited media reports that appeared on April 4 and 5 that 2,500 corner sites in Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout were allegedly mortgaged in banks and that BDA had collected Rs 1,000-2,000 crore that is being used to develop Karanth Layout.
“The dates for the Lok Sabha elections were announced by the Election Commission of India on March 15 and from then on, MCC has come into effect. But the BDA, a government agency, has sanctioned Rs 1,000-2,000 crore for infrastructure works in its new layout, Dr Shivaram Karanth Layout. And in addition to this, huge sums of money are being obtained during elections by mortgaging corner plots in the bank.
This raises the question of propriety,” he wrote in the letter to the ECI. “The ruling Congress in the state is systematically arranging money from shortcuts to be used for election work on the pretext of paying contractors to carry out infrastructure works. I urge the Election Commission to take appropriate steps to ensure that no payments are made by the Bangalore Development Authority till the Lok Sabha elections are over,” he added.