Even as the memory of the Rs. 2,000-crore work code scam in the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is still fresh, another alleged multi-crore scandal has emerged. It appears that some officials have released payments twice over for the same work or raised bills for works that have not been taken up at all.
Still ongoing
According to senior officials, the scam pertains to 4,600 works worth more than Rs. 900 crore taken up in the Malleswaram, Gandhinagar and Rajarajeshwarinagar Assembly constituencies. They told The Hindu the works were from 2008-09 to date. On getting wind of the new scam, Commissioner Siddaiah has directed officials of the Technical Vigilance Committee under Commissioner (TVCC) to seize the bill registry (BR) for verification.
The BR is an important document that has all details of the work, including nature of the work, cost, mode of payment of bills, and timeline.
“In 2008-09, as per the BR, around 1,600 works worth Rs. 290 crore were approved. However, a few concerned citizens complained that though some of the works had not been executed, bills had been raised and contractors had been paid,” said an official who didn't want to be named. Most works are civil works such as asphalting of roads, re-laying footpaths and repairing drains. From 2008-09 to date, around 4,600 works have been registered in the BR of the three Assembly constituencies and payments have been made through both the hundi system and regular mode. The TVCC officials have been directed to check if the works in the BR were approved by the authorities concerned, if the works were executed and if payments were released through the hundi system.
Under the hundi system, contractors can produce bills of the works already executed at certain banks that have an understanding with the BBMP. This was introduced as the civic authority faced fund shortage.
Mr. Siddaiah has not only directed the officials to verify the 4,600 works, but also has frozen hundi system and payment of bills till the verification is completed. The official said that the role of zonal joint commissioners, chief engineers and executive engineers concerned would be investigated.
