The New Indian Express ·
BBMP civil works: Retired judge to probe irregularities
BENGALURU: A year after the Justice Nagamohan Das Committee report on the unsatisfactory reply by 82 engineers and five accounts superintendents of the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, in connection with alleged irregularities in civil works, the government has proceeded to initiate a departmental enquiry (DE) by a retired district and sessions judge.
Retired District and Sessions Judge HY Vasanth Kumar was appointed enquiry officer. The recent government order was issued by the Urban Development Department exercising powers conferred under Rule 11(2) of the Karnataka Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1957. To present the case before the enquiry officer, Senior Deputy Legal Officer M Muniraju was appointed presenting officer. The EO shall submit the inquiry report within four months.
The order stated that 360 engineers and 8 account superintendents were named in the alleged malpractice and irregularities in civil works and fake bills in Gandhinagar, Malleswaram and RR Nagar assembly constituencies between 2008 and 2012.
As per the government order, Justice Das remarked that among 360 engineers and 8 account superintendents examined, it found that the affidavits submitted by them merely denied the allegations and were not adequate to prove the allegations baseless.
In the order, the government clarified that after an explanation from GR Lokesh, assistant executive engineer, S Mallikarjuna Gowda, BT Ramesh, retired chief engineer, Padmanabhachar, executive engineer, Siddegowda, retired chief engineer, have been accepted, and it has been ordered to drop their names from the case.
The government has ordered the Chief Commissioner, Greater Bengaluru Authority, to provide space, stationery and staff required for this inquiry and to hand over original documents related to the case to the enquiry officers.
It may be recalled that after the Congress came to power and based on the appeal from then DyCM and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar in 2023, then CM Siddaramaiah had formed a panel headed by Justice Nagamohan Das to probe into allegations of irregularities. The panel selected 761 completed works -- 528 works randomly and 233 others -- and found many deficiencies.