Public Works Department (PWD) Secretary Sadashivareddy B. Patil and the former Secretary, PWD, K.B. Devaraju have been accused of corruption by the Lokayukta police in the scam in Magadi subdivision of the PWD.
The officials allegedly favoured a set of contractors while awarding contracts for civil works during 2011–12. The Lokayukta police filed a charge sheet on July 25.
The charge sheet puts the misappropriation of funds at Rs. 56.72 crore as against the allegation that it was Rs. 600 crore.
The charge sheet says “Rs. 236.12 crore was granted for roadworks in PWD, Magadi sub-division, during 2011–12, amongst which Rs. 137 crore was released for contractors, of which Rs. 56.72 crore was misused causing loss to government exchequer.”
The Lokayukta had taken suo motu cognisance of the issue and filed a first information report (FIR) on April 18, 2013. The FIR had named 12 PWD officials, including Mr. Patil who was the then chief engineerand three contractors who had bagged most of the contracts. The charge sheet names 33 people (17 contractors, 16 officials) as against 15 people named in the FIR. A probe by the House panel formed by the Legislative Assembly in 2013 had found that most of the contracts were awarded to three contractors — Kemparaju, Shankar and Nanjaiah — who were also named in the Lokayukta FIR. However, the Lokayukta charge sheet added 14 other contractors.
The Lokayukta police have sought sanction from the State government to prosecute 13 PWD officials. (The other three officials have retired and permission is not required to prosecute them.)
