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To ensure transparency, Karnataka forms committee to vet tenders above ₹50cr
The Basavaraj Bommai-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government appointed Justice Rathnakala, a retired judge of the Karnataka High Court with BG Gurupadaswamy, a retired IAS official as the engineering expert and K Nanda Kumar who retired from the audit and accounts department as a finance expert in the committee.
The Karnataka government on Sunday announced the setting up of a three-member committee to screen all tenders above ₹50 crore in what appears to be an attempt to rid itself of the piling allegations of corruption.
The Basavaraj Bommai-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government appointed Justice Rathnakala, a retired judge of the Karnataka High Court with BG Gurupadaswamy, a retired IAS official as the engineering expert and K Nanda Kumar who retired from the audit and accounts department as a finance expert.
Members of the committee will get remuneration of ₹2 lakh and ₹1 lakh, respectively.
In the order, the government stated that it “has decided to undertake the Pre-Tender Scrutiny of the tenders and estimates prepared for the Procurement of Goods and Services including Construction works, the value of which exceeds ₹50.00 crores, before they are published to enhance the transparency in the Public Procurements and also to secure competition and equal opportunity to all the tenderers.”
The setting up of the committee comes even as the charges of corruption continues to pile up on the Bommai government, including allegations that elected representatives and officials demand up to 40% in commission or bribes to clear payments for public works before they are awarded or after completion and when payments are due.
Bommai has been trying to rid himself of these allegations with just one year before assembly elections and with the opposition using these issues as its poll platform to oust the BJP from power in Karnataka.
KS Eshwarappa, the former minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR), was forced to step down after a Belagavi-based contractor took his own life, accusing the minister of harassing him for bribes to release payments.
Ramesh Jarkiholi was forced to step down after a woman accused him of a “job-for-sex” scandal in March last year.
Now higher education minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan has been accused of being the “kingpin” of the Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) exam scandal, adding to the pressure on Bommai.
“Corruption and red tapism will not be tolerated,” Bommai said on Sunday when he reviewed the Deputy Commissioners meeting to review the progress of implementation of 2022-23 budget programmes.
He added; “Helping the poor would not only bring dynamism, it would also give a sense of satisfaction to you. It would change the perception of the people towards the government. We should work as a team. I need your cooperation to realise my idea of building a new Karnataka.”
Earlier this month, a public works contractor from Koppal has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that state government officials in the district are demanding as much as 30-40% commission in order to release payments.
Yariswamy said the executive engineer and junior engineer among others have demanded this money to release payments, making life hard for small-time contractors who sometimes borrow money to complete works.
“They only first told me to complete the work, assured me that no percentage would be sought and then after completing the job and came to the payment stage, they are now demanding a percentage. How do we trust them?” he said. The contractor alleged that he has already made around ₹50,000 in payments as demanded by these officials but payments were still not released.
