AAP to protest against fund misuse by minister

Y. Maheswara Reddy | NT

The Karnataka unit of Aam Aadmi Party has decided to take out a protest rally on Wednesday against misappropriation of funds allocated for the developmental works in Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly constituency represented by Minister for Horticulture Muniratna.

Chennappa Gowda Nellooru, Political Activity Unit President of AAP said, “Many developmental works were planned in RR Nagar Assembly constituency, under the Chief Minister’s Nava Nagarothana Scheme. Funds to the tune of Rs 118.26 crore were misappropriated. The developmental works were done by the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited. We are organising a massive protest on Wednesday demanding Munirathna’s resignation.”

He said the protest rally would begin from the BBMP Office at Raja Rajeshwari Nagar and reach Gandhi statue through RR Nagar Main Entrance, Mysore Road, BHEL, Attiguppe, Vijaya Nagara, Magadi Road Toll Gate, Rajajinagar 6th Block, Dr Rajkumar Road, Navarang Circle, Devaiah Park, Harischandra Ghat, Malleshwaram Circle and Sheshadripuram.

“AAP activists, social activists, intellectuals and others will take part in the rally,” he said. He alleged that a huge amount of money has been misappropriated in RR Nagar by creating fake bills for some of the works that were not even taken up and some false claims were made regarding the length of the roads that were developed.

“The quality of some works is very poor. Prescribed rules in the tender have been flouted for some other works. The Lokayukta report has clearly specified how the funds allocated for 114 developmental works are misappropriated.

I am of the opinion that it will not be prudent for Munirathna to continue as a minister,” he said. Aam Aadmi Party Bengaluru City Vice President B.T. Naganna has blamed the state government for not taking any action against those responsible for misappropriation even though Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Vishwanath Shetty has submitted a 60-page investigation report to the government on January 24.