A Hubballi-based contractor has written to the government seeking permission to end his life, alleging he was suffering due to corrupt officers demanding commission to approve his bills.
He has named a taluk panchayat officer and an MLA in his letter.
In his letter to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, A. Basavaraj has said that he was upset with the problems he was facing and would end his life, if they permitted him to do so.
He claimed that he had supplied COVID-19 related equipment to gram panchayats in Kadur and Moodigere in Chikkamagaluru district. However, officers refused to pass his bills of around ₹1.12 crore, till he paid a commission of over 40%. The supplies were made to 69 GPs in 2020. Materials worth ₹85 lakh were supplied to Kadur taluk and ₹27 lakh to Moodigere taluk.
Names Kadur taluk executive officer
The letter by A Basavaraj addressed to President Droupadi Murmu pleads for “kindness death”. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“It has been more than two years since I supplied the equipment. I had invested the money to purchase the equipment after taking loans from friends and money lenders. Now, I am in a very bad condition as I have run out of money and I need to repay my debt. But the taluk panchayat officers are neither clearing my bills nor are they releasing the money due to me. Kadur taluk executive officer Devraj Nayak has been demanding over 40% commission. He is also threatening me, saying he has the support of Kadur MLA Belli Prakash,’‘ he said.
Mr. Basavaraj mentioned that he had contacted the PMO and CMO several times in the past. Officers in PMO and CMO had, in turn, given instructions to taluk panchayat officers to release the money owed to him. But, despite repeated instructions from the PMO and CMO, the taluk panchayat officers had failed to do so. “I had also written to the principal secretary of rural development and panchayat raj. The principal secretary gave directions to the taluk panchayat officials to clear the bills. But the TP officers have not acted upon those directions,’‘ he said.
