Is there another scam brewing in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in the execution of various infrastructure works? Mayor M. Goutham Kumar has alleged that many contractors have submitted fabricated documents to bag tenders for civic works and they were hand in glove with several BBMP officials.
Mr. Kumar told reporters on Friday that he had written to the Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Urban Development, urging that such contractors be blacklisted. He claimed that apart from submitting fabricated documents, contractors had colluded with officials and raised bills for civic works that have not been executed. He urged the State government to conduct an inquiry into the alleged scam.
Incidentally, the Mayor had raised this issue recently during the BBMP council meeting as well and found support from many councillors. At the time, he cited an alleged scam pertaining to road and drain works.
Directing BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad to look into the allegations, the Mayor had urged him to initiate stringent disciplinary action against any official found to be involved, apart from blacklisting contractors.
Report sought
Mr. Prasad said he has directed senior officials to submit a report and identify contractors who had submitted fabricated documents. “Engineers and other officials involved will also be identified. Both officials and contractors have cheated the government. We will book criminal cases against them,” he said.
About work orders already issued to contractors who had submitted fabricated documents, the Commissioner said there was a provision in the work order to cancel the same if it is established that the documents are fake. “After cancelling the work order, we will blacklist such contractors,” he added.
