Denying allegations that its accounts were not subjected to audit, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Friday submitted audit reports of its accounts for the years 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 to the High Court of Karnataka.
The audited reports were submitted in response to a PIL petition by Namma Bengaluru Foundation and Rajya Sabha Member Rajiv Chandrasekhar, which alleged that the BBMP has consistently failed to get its accounts audited, as mandated by law, for the past five years resulting in several scams.
Stating that the reports that appeared in newspapers on BBMP’s “non-audit of accounts” can’t be termed as “gospel truth as per the apex court’s verdict”, the BBMP in its statement said that being a MP, Mr. Chandrasekhar could have “ascertained” from the BBMP authorities about the auditing of accounts instead of “merely” relying on newspaper reports.
Many “newspaper reports are not based on facts and figures,” it has been said in the statement filed by BBMP’s counsel, Sreenidhi V., on behalf of the Commissioner.
The BBMP termed the PIL as “premature” by pointing out that the petition was filed by the petitioners without waiting for the reply from the BBMP for their applications filed under the RTI Act.
“The BBMP has been conducting its annual audit regularly and has never shown callous approach towards its statutory duties. Any irregularities or mismanagement brought to its notice has been duly addressed and has been directed to hold an enquiry and to submit a report,” claimed a statement filed by the Commissioner.
A Division Bench adjourned further hearing.
A PIL petition had alleged that the civic body consistently failed to get its accounts audited
