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Karnataka elections: Contractors’ body rakes up graft, calls for ‘vote as per conscience’
Congress leader Ramesh Babu filed a complaint against CM Basavaraj Bommai, health minister K Sudhakar, and health department officials over a tender given for emergency medical services
Bengaluru: A day before the voting for the assembly polls, the Karnataka State Contractors’ Association (KSCA) on Tuesday appealed to the people to cast their vote in accordance with their conscience, while reminding them that corruption has reached frightening levels in the state.
“Corruption has reached frightening levels in our beloved state. The 40% commission in public projects has already claimed the lives of several contractors; the public too is forced to live with defective, dangerous, and life-threatening infrastructure,” the association said in a letter to the voters. “Democracy works when people cast their vote in accordance with their conscience. Corruption deeply hurts our collective conscience,” the letter said.
KSCA president D Kempanna had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021 alleging that contractors had to shell out 40 per cent commission in public projects, a charge which the Congress made it a key campaign issue to target the ruling BJP, which had rubbished the allegation .
Sharing the letter on his Twitter handle, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh wrote: “The Karnataka State Contractors Association has written another letter -- this time to the voters. PM Modi never replied to their pleas against the BJP’s 40% commission government. Tomorrow the people of Karnataka will reply for him.”
In another development, Congress leader Ramesh Babu on Tuesday filed a complaint against chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, health minister K Sudhakar, and officials from the health department over a tender given for emergency medical services. The Congress leader submitted the complaint with Lokayukta alleging that the Karnataka government gave the tender for the emergency services, worth ₹1,260 crore, to a company that does not have any background on health issues.
“Today, I filed a complaint against chief minister of Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai, health minister K. Sudhakar, the health department’s principal secretary and other officers of the health department to the Lokayukta regarding a tender transaction,” Babu told reporters.
“They overlooked all the parameters and gave the tender for the emergency service of the health department of Karnataka amounting to ₹1260 crore to a company that doesn’t have any background in health issues,” he added.
Chief minister Bommai, who visited a Hanuman temple, and health minister Sudhakar didn’t respond to the calls made for a response.
