Former minister and JD(S) leader S.R. Mahesh has accused IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri of corruption in the cloth bag distribution scheme as part of plastic-free campaign in Mysuru district during her tenure as Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru, but the official called the charges ‘blatant lies and contrary to the truth’.
Mr. Mahesh, who represents K.R. Nagar Assembly constituency in Mysuru, shared details of the alleged corruption with mediapersons on September 3. The scheme had been initiated by Ms. Sindhuri earlier this year for distribution of environment-friendly cloth bags as part of a plastic-free campaign in the district.
The JD(S) MLA claimed that the official had placed an order for more than 14.71 lakh cloth bags at a cost of ₹52 a piece, totaling ₹7.65 crore, for distribution to houses in all urban local bodies in the district, including Mysuru City Corporation. Each beneficiary household was to receive two bags – one with a capacity to carry 5 kg and another 10 kg.
However, he claimed that cloth bags of the same quality were actually available for ₹13 a piece in the retail market in Mysuru, which he displayed at the media conference along with a bill for the same.
He alleged a kickback in the scheme, which had led to a loss of more than ₹6 crore to the State exchequer.
Pointing out that the scheme had been taken up without bringing the matter before any urban local body in the district, Mr. Mahesh accused the official of ‘usurping’ the powers vested in local bodies and forcing the scheme upon them without having the proposal discussed in the elected councils of the local bodies.
He claimed that the local bodies were now refusing to clear the proposal and give financial approval for payment for the cloth bags. A huge consignment of cloth bags is now stocked in a building in Mysuru, Mr. Mahesh said.
He wants the government to order an inquiry and suspension of the IAS officer. He has threatened to stage a dharna outside the office of Chief Secretary P. Ravi Kumar if his demands are not met.
Denial by official
Ms. Sindhuri described the allegations as a ‘Standard Operating Procedure to browbeat and scare officers against daring to inquire into illegalities and irregularities by these individuals’. She said the work order for implementing the scheme was given to Karnataka Handloom Development Corporation (KHDC), a government of Karnataka undertaking, and was in compliance with the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act.
She insisted that ‘not even a single paisa’ was paid as kickback during her tenure as Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru. It was only as recently as August 30, 2021, that the first payment of ₹9,59,991 was made to the KHDC by the Nanjangud City Municipal Council. “(This is) The only payment they (KHDC) have received until today,” she added.
Ms. Sindhuri, who is now the Commissioner, Department of Endowments, has hoped that the current officials would continue to ‘show courage and bring out the truth’ in the illegalities and irregularities committed by individuals who were making allegations against her.
