Even as a probe is under way into the bogus bill scam, corporator of one of the areas under fire is stubbornly holding on to the files related to the scam.
Even as a probe is under way into the bogus bill scam, corporator of one of the areas under fire is stubbornly holding on to the files related to the scam.
The Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) is investigating the Rs1,539-crore scam that allegedly took place in three divisions of the BBMP: Malleswaram, Rajarajeshwarinagar and Gandhinagar.
Manjunath Raju—corporator of Kadu Malleswara ward and chairperson of standing committee for taxation and finance (T&F)—has kept 133 files related to the scam in his possession. At a press conference on Saturday, he said he would not give the files to BMTF even if it asks for it.
In fact, he claimed that Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) commissioner Siddaiah has written to the T&F committee twice, asking it to hand over the files to the BMTF, but the committee did not oblige. Raju added that the T&F committee was scrutinising the files for the past few days.
He asserted that he would hand over the files only if the mayor or the council, which are supreme, direct the committee to do so. He said the council would meet on November 29 and 30 and discuss the issue.
At the press conference, Malleswaram MLA CN Ashwath Narayan, of BJP, sought to highlight that the scam pertains to Malleswaram division, which comes under the BBMP, and not to Malleswaram assembly constituency.
He said although seven wards of his constituency come under the Malleswaram division, which is under microscope, there was no instance of money laundering.
‘Fund allotment has been exaggerated’
Narayan MLA said although his constituency has got Rs235 crore as funds since 2008, it has been reported that about Rs497 crore have been given to it.
He claimed that every rupee that was allotted has been spent on development works and the work quality too is satisfactory.
He said the works have even been inspected and approved by a third-party agency, Civil Aid Technoclinic. Narayan reiterated that no work-related irregularity has taken place in the seven wards that come under him.
He added that the corporators of these wards are open to investigation.
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