CM to end ‘commission menace’ in tender, public work allotment

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

Chief Minister  Siddaramaiah on Friday assured contractors of the State that his government would end the “commission menace” in government offices, besides protecting their interests as the “measures have become a must to restore the financial health of the State, which was severely damaged by the previous BJP government”.

The CM issued a statement to a delegation led by State Contractors’ Association D Kempanna who met him at his office in Vidhana Soudha here.

He said that financial indiscipline and the commission menace during the previous BJP government led to several problems in the State finances. The CM requested the delegation to give the government some more time to look into their issues.

He promises to hold a meeting of contractors after the Budget session to address their issue of releasing their pending bills besides convening a meeting of finance department and BBMP officials to sort out their bills worth about Rs 3,500 crore that are pending for clearance with the civic body.

The CM also promised to award contracts and tenders to local contractors and KSCA members for implementing public works across the State.

The delegation demanded that the CM reintroduce the letter of credit (LOC) system that existed in the past during the Congress regime between 2013 and 2018. It is learnt that Kempanna had levelled the allegation that the previous BJP government extracted 40 per cent commission on government orders.

The Association also wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that then ruling BJP leaders were forcefully taking a 40 per cent cut in all projects executed by the contractors. The Congress took up the issue strongly, going to the extent of demanding President’s rule in the State.

During its Assembly election campaign, the Congress attacked the BJP government with the allegations. Kempanna had alleged that the contractors were forced to give a 5 per cent commission during the tender process.

“Corruption was rampant in the CM’s office, much more that what it is in the Health and Irrigation departments, during the previous BJP rule in the State. Rural Development, PWD, BBMP and Irrigation ministers have their own agents,” he went on to add.