Bengaluru: The allegations of corruption in the Karnataka government yet again surfaced after the president of the Contractors Association alleged that those in government are demanding 40 percent commission in the contract whichever is given to the contractors. Now, the Congress Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs are raising the issue in the media on Monday demanding the direct intervention of Prime Minister Modi in the matter and also a high-level inquiry under the supervision of a High Court judge.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dr. L. Hanumanthaiah also presented a case study before the media to strengthen his claims. "Santosh Patil from Belgaum district has conducted the contract work of about Rs 4 crores in Hindalga Gram Panchayat. He has done all the work on the assurance of Minister KS Eshwarappa, who is a Rural Development, and Panchayat Raj Minister, who had said- you do the work, we will release the funds. Subsequently, when he went to the Minister asking for the release of the funds after completing the work, his associates asked Santosh Patil to give 40 percent out of Rs 4 crore work. He had already paid them 15 Lakhs," said Dr. Hanumanthaiah.
Contractor Santosh Patil has claimed that he visited the minister 80 times to get his funds released but nothing happened. Patil according to the Congress MPs is a BJP worker and also a member of Hindu Vahini. When the minister did not listen to him, he also visited Delhi and met Union Minister Giriraj Singh, BJP General Secretary and Karnataka In Charge Arun Singh, and also General Secretary Organisation of the BJP, BL Santosh in New Delhi but all in vain, Patil is still struggling to get his funds released from the Karnataka government.
"About 4 years ago, when Karnataka government was there and we were going for elections, the same Prime Minister came to Karnataka and alleged that Karnataka Government led by Siddaramaiah Ji’s was taking commissions. Today, when a 40 percent cut is demanded by the BJP government minister openly, no one is willing to take action, despite the contractor( who is also a BJP worker) lodging a complaint. We demand Prime Minister's explanation and seek immediate action against Karnataka’s corruption-ridden government," added the Congress MP.
The Karnataka Contractors Association is said to be a registered organization with more than 50,000 members and the association has been functional for more than a decade now. The Congress MPs have demanded that an investigation be conducted and those involved in this high-level corruption be punished at the earliest. The leaders also demanded that PM Modi should directly intervene in the issue and sack Karnataka Government.
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