Contractors’ union meets CM Bommai, gives no proof of corruption

“We had a good discussion and submitted our list of demands to the chief minister and he reciprocated well,” KSCA president Kempanna said.

After accusing the state government of corruption, the Karnataka State Contractors’ Association (KSCA) on Monday appeared to have softened its stand on its earlier charges against the Basavaraj Bommai-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government after their meeting in Bengaluru.

Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai (PTI)

“We had a good discussion and submitted our list of demands to the chief minister and he reciprocated well,” KSCA president Kempanna said.

The delegation discussed contract procedures but did not provide any evidence on the 40% commission charges as the chief minister did not ask for the same.

“We did not release the information on corruption charges before them. We have said that if our demands are not met, we will release it outside. That struggle is different and there is no relation between the two,” Kempanna added. He said that the CM has sought the association’s cooperation to fight corruption.

“All these (allegations by contractors association) are politically motivated. Our government, minister or chief minister are not part of this percentage-style government,” MP Renukacharya, the political secretary to the chief minister and BJP legislator said. Renukacharya has been appointed as political secretary with cabinet rank.

“They keep threatening to release evidence but this is sort of blackmail. Let the contractors work and we will do the billing. What evidence do they have (of corruption)? Let them meet with the chief minister and sort out the issue. Even in Santosh Patil case, the investigation will bring out the truth,” he said.

The statements come at a time when the Bommai-led state government has been accused of demanding bribes for awarding public works contracts by elected representatives and officials among others.

“We are ready to give the evidence against corruption,” Kempanna added.He said that the association’s executive committee meeting will be held on May 11 and it will take a decision on how to take their fight against corruption forward.

A letter written by the contractors association, in July, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi surfaced in November last year, where in they had alleged that elected representatives and other officials were harassing them and demanding bribes.

The allegations levelled by one section of contractors against the government (present and past) and officials in Karnataka had rekindled the debate on the close nexus between elected representatives and their stooges who end up getting most of the tenders in public works.

On April 12, contractor Santosh K Patil was found dead, weeks after he made allegations that he was being harassed by former rural development and panchayat Raj (RDPR) minister KS Eshwarappa to cough up 40% commission for works worth ₹4 crore done in Hindalga village of Belagavi district. Patil, in a WhatsApp message believed to have been sent by him to his associates and the media, directly blamed Eshwarappa for his death. Soon after his death, several pictures of Patil meeting the minister were circulated on social media.

According to FIR, in 2020-21, during the Sri Lakshmi Devi Fair at Hindalga, in Belagavi district, leaders and seers met Eshwarappa in Bengaluru and requested that roads construction work, sewer workers be taken up at the earliest in the backdrop of the fair. The minister conveyed to the workers to start the work, saying he will take care of all the expenses.

Following Patil’s death, Eshwarappa was forced to step down from the cabinet as the opposition and others increased pressure on the Bommai government over piling allegations of corruption.