BBMP empowered committee swindled Rs 1,000 crore: BJP leader

BENGALURU: The empowered committee, set up by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has swindled Rs 1,000 crore of the Rs 7,300 crore granted under the Nagarothana Scheme, alleged former BBMP opposition leader and BJP city unit spokesperson N.R. Ramesh on Saturday. He said this is how the Congress is sourcing money for the upcoming Assembly elections. The Empowered Committee, apart from taking over all the powers of elected representatives and infringing on the rights of corporators and BBMP standing committees, is superceding the civic body. “The committee holds powers to grant tenders, technical nod etc. which is against the Karnataka State Municipal Corporations Act which governs the civic body. Nagarothana grant of Rs 7,300 crore is managed by the empowered committee and it has swindled over Rs 1,000 crore in the form of kickbacks" he said. 

Mr Siddaramaiah is bragging that he has granted Rs 7,300 crore to the city. But they have taken commission through the empowered committee, he alleged. In contrast to the CM's statement, only Rs 1,500 crore has been released and the government is yet to pay Rs 5,800 crore to contractors, he said. 

“For Tendersure, whitetopping, building stormwater drains and road development, they have quotes Rs 894 crore higher than the estimated Rs 2,455 crore. The committee has got Rs 500 crore alone from these projects,” he said. 

Complaints have been lodged against Mr Siddaramaiah, Bengaluru Development Minister K.J. George and Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Development Department Mahendra Jain at the ACB, BMTF, Lokayukta and ACMM Court, he said. Only if a non-Congress government is elected, a fair probe can be conducted over alleged irregularities of the committee, he said.