Members of the Karnataka State Dalit Sangharsh Samiti accused the Kalyana Karnataka Human Resources, Agriculture, and Cultural Society (KKHRACS) of irregularities in the tendering process to procure sewing machines and educational toys for anganwadi centres for seven districts in the region.
Arjun Bhadre, State convener of the samiti, addressing presspersons, claimed that the society procured 7,000 sewing machines, 1,000 machines for each district, at a total cost of ₹7 crore.
According to Mr. Bhadre, the market price for each sewing machine was ₹5,000, whereas the society had purchased the same machine at ₹9,990 each from Bengaluru-based company “Max Traders” under the tender, he added.
He claimed irregularities in the tender for procurement of plastic toys for anganwadi centres at a cost of ₹2 crore. The approximate market price of the toys is ₹1, but the price for each toy had been fixed at ₹10.
Mr. Bhadre said the samiti would stage a protest in front of the KKHRACS office if the society failed to cancel the tender floated.
