The alleged cold war between mayor SK Nataraj and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike commissioner Siddaiah could further delay development works in Bangalore.
The civic administration appears to be heading for a crisis. The alleged cold war between mayor SK Nataraj and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) commissioner Siddaiah could further delay development works in Bangalore.
Nataraj had recently appealed to chief minister BS Yeddyurappa for the ouster of Siddaiah, saying he was not cooperating with the council and was taking decisions on his own.
To drive home the point, he quoted Siddaiah’s recent decision to suspend some officials for their alleged role in corruption, without adhering to the decision of the council.
“This is disturbing the functioning of the Palike,” said Nataraj on Wednesday. Sources said the chief minister assured the mayor that he would discuss the issue with the commissioner.
Siddaiah, on the other hand, said on Wednesday that he would not bow to any political pressure and had transferred the corrupt officials according to the rules. BBMP sources said the suspended engineers’ lobby was responsible for the divide between the mayor and the commissioner.
“These self-interested people are trying to create a rift between the mayor, who is backed by home minister R Ashoka, and the commissioner, who is backed by the CM,” said a source.
A source said that Nataraj and Siddaiah had a good relationship, until January 23, when the commissioner suspended four officials, BS Prahalad, executive engineer (projects), Yelahanka zone, Mohandas, executive engineer, Rajarajeshwarinagar zone, Nagaraj, superintendent engineer, Yelahanka zone, and Rajendra Nayak, executive engineer, Yelahanka zone, for alleged corruption in executing works, under provision 4G of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements Act 1999.
Prahalad and Nagaraj approached Yelahanka MLA SR Vishwanath and sought that their suspension be revoked. Vishwanath exerted pressure on the chief minister and the mayor to get the suspension order cancelled.
When the mayor discussed the matter with the commissioner, the latter asked him to send the matter to the Lokayukta for investigation. This triggered a tussle, which led the mayor to write a letter to the government.
It is also learnt that due to pressure from officials, the principal secretary had written a letter to the commissioner to drop the suspension order against the four officers, and not to refer the case to the Lokayukta.
BJP sources said animosity was also simmering between the commissioner and mayor over the handing over of major project works under the mayor’s fund to the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL).
The mayor wanted KRIDL to take up the works related to roads, drainage etc. But Siddaiah rejected the plan as, according to him, KRIDL often failed to meet quality standards and deadlines. He told the mayor that tenders would be floated for major works, and KRIDL could take up other work such as construction of school buildings.
BJP sources alleged that for the Rs150 crore mayoral fund project works, Nataraj would get 10% commission, KRIDL will get 15% and engineers will also get their share.
According to them, the mayor and engineers were desperate as all the files related to works are sent for clearance to the technical vigilance co-ordination committee (TVCC) headed by the commissioner.
The mayor’s term ends on March 31. He did not want any delay in clearance of the projects. This made him say that files were shuttling between tables, causing delay in taking up works, the source added.
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