Karnataka CM misused Central funds: BJP leader

Bengaluru: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has received a complaint against four people, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on charges of misappropriation of funds in solid waste management, claimed former corporator N.R. Ramesh.

Mr Ramesh lodged the complaint with the ED, Bengaluru zonal office on Tuesday and names, apart from the chief minister, Bengaluru Development Minister K.J. George, BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad and BBMP Joint Commissioner (Health) Sarfaraz Khan.

Mr Ramesh has alleged that Rs 1,067 crore of taxpayers’ money has been misappropriated in the name of solid waste management and he has demanded that the case should be tried under criminal conspiracy, fraud, forgery, manipulation of records, cheating, criminal breach of trust and wrongful gain. Having failed to get justice after lodging complaints at different forums, the complaint was filed at ED, said Mr Ramesh. He also demanded action against 48 garbage contractors and BBMP officials who are behind the scam.

“Rs 236 crore was paid to garbage contractors for garbage disposal until Feb 2016. Subsequently, Rs 385 crore is spent for the same purpose from March 2016. Suddenly, there is an enormous hike in payment of disposal of garbage from Rs 236 crore to Rs 924.25 crore. Besides, the amount for solid waste management has been hiked to Rs 1,066 crore from Rs 385 crore. Which means, there is an increase of Rs 688 crore without any proper reason,” he stated in his complaint.

Rs 440 crore spent on waste management plant has gone down the drain as all the plants have become non-functional, he said.

“Officials and politicians have connived. The amount for solid waste management has increased by four to five times in some wards, rising suspicion of embezzlement of funds,” he said.

Why complaint with ED?
Speaking to DC, Mr Ramesh said that since the central government fund under the Swachh Barat Abhiyaan has been misused, the compliant was lodged before the ED and they can investigate when the central fund is misused. The funds should have been utilised for building toilets and renovation of public health centres. Instead, the funds have been misused for solid waste management, he said.