Karnataka forms committee to clear tenders above ₹50cr: Bommai

Days after Eshwarappa’s resignation, CM Bommai said the committee will ensure that there are no malpractices in awarding tenders

The Karnataka government has decided to setup a three-member committee — under the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act — to clear tenders for public projects worth ₹50 crore, an official privy to the matter said on Wednesday.

The formation of the committee by chief minister Basavaraj Bommai comes after former Karnataka minister KS Eshwarappa was forced to resign due to corruption allegations against him. (PTI)

“Public projects start from the time of preparing estimates. Tender conditions are prepared to benefit only a section of people. I have ordered the formation of a high-level committee, which will have a retired high court judge as its chairperson and a financial and a technical expert as its members,” Karnataka chief minister (CM) Basavaraj Bommai told the reporters.

The committee will ensure that there are no malpractices in awarding tenders, said the CM, adding that the government has banned the practice of starting the works based on verbal instructions of ministers or higher officials. The commission will review estimates and the tender condition as per the provisions of KTPPA before clearing them.

The development comes in the backdrop of contractor Santosh Patil’s death, whose body was found in a lodge in Udupi on March12. Patil had accused former Karnataka minister KS Eshwarappa of demanding a bribe to clear the bills for the work he had done on the former’s behest.The minister’s aides repeatedly demanded a 40% commission to clear bills for a pending project, his note alleged.

“A government order has been passed and in a few days, the commission will be set up. This will be a deterrent against corruption. The judge and members will be named in a week. Every estimate has to be cleared in 15 days,” Bommai added.

The government has also made a provision to set up a parallel commission to clear tenders in case there is an increase in the number of proposals.

Talking about the new instruction not to start any work based on verbal instructions, he said a strict message has been sent to the concerned departments. “… on many occasions, oral orders are given in the ranchayat raj bodies. After learning about this, I have directed the urban development department, the rural development and the panchayat raj department that no work should take place on the basis of oral instructions,” the CM said.

He also warned in case any such work is carried out, the concerned assistant engineers, assistant executive engineers, panchayat development officer or the section officers will be held accountable. In rural areas, Bommai said panchayat development officers and executive officers will be held accountable.

“I have ordered that all the instructions should be in writing so as to have a system. This will be implemented soon,” Bommai said. Bommai also agreed with the idea of setting up committees on the lines of the commission at the district level also. When asked about the Patil suicide case, he said the investigation is going on the right track, from the rural development and panchayat raj (RDPR) department to the police department.

The first information report (FIR), a copy of which is with HT, had listed Eshwarappa as accused number 1 (A1) while his aides Basavaraj and Ramesh as A2 and A3 respectively. Following the incident, Eshwarappa had stepped down from the post of minister for rural development and panchayat raj.