If contractor Arun Kumar had had his way, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner would have had no furniture in his office on Wednesday.
Arun Kumar, following a court directive, came to seize the table, chair and sofa set from the Commissioner's room on Tuesday evening. The Commissioner managed to literally save his chair by issuing a cheque for Rs. 45.30 lakh, clearing Mr. Arun Kumar's dues.
The contractor had executed works worth Rs. 31 lakh for the BBMP in Yelahanka zone in 2005.
When his pending bills were not cleared, he approached the court seeking relief. The court heard both the BBMP and the contractor and ruled in Mr. Arun Kumar's favour. The court directed the BBMP to pay Rs. 45.30 lakh, which included interest on the pending bills.
Sources said the BBMP's Legal Cell ignored the court order, which prompted the contractor to try to seize the furniture from Mr. Gowda's office.
The incident has not gone down well with the Opposition leaders. Both M. Udayashankar, Opposition Leader in BBMP Council, and Padmanabaha Reddy, Janata Dal (Secular) Floor Leader, condemned the incident and came down heavily on the Legal Cell.
“The incident has brought shame to the civic authority. There should be an inquiry and disciplinary action should be initiated against the erring officials, besides suspending them,” they stated.
