Zameer Ahmed Khan offers to resign if found guilty in housing bribery row
Last week, Congress MLA BR Patil alleged that housing units in his constituency were sanctioned in exchange for bribes
Housing minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan on Tuesday said he would step down from his post if any irregularities were proven against him in connection with alleged bribes for the allotment of houses under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Limited in Karnataka’s Aland constituency.
Last week, a leaked audio clip surfaced in which Congress MLA BR Patil, also the deputy chairman of the Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission, alleged that housing units in his constituency were sanctioned in exchange for bribes. Patil claimed that approximately 950 houses were allotted based on recommendations by a panchayat member, while his own list of beneficiary names was ignored.
Responding to the allegations, Khan on Tuesday asked Patil to reveal who exactly was involved in the wrongdoing. “There should be clarity on who took the bribe. Is it the panchayat member, any officer or the minister?” he asked.
Khan reiterated that he was not directly named in Patil’s claims and expressed readiness to face scrutiny. “If anyone took the money, they should be investigated and strict action should be taken against them,” he said, adding that a departmental inquiry was already in progress. “I am open to an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI),” he added.
The minister insisted that all housing allotments in Aland were made based on panchayat recommendations. “Let BR Patil name those who took money from the poor beneficiaries. We will take action against them. The contribution (by the government for building houses) is ₹1.2 lakh. Is it possible to take ₹5,000–10,000 for that? …. There is no question of taking bribes from the poor for such schemes,” Khan said.
When Congress MLA Belur Gopalkrishna suggested that Khan should resign in light of the controversy, the minister responded, “If it is proved that I am involved, I will resign. No one has to ask for it.”
Asked about the minister’s comments, Patil said, “I have not heard his comments. I cannot comment.”
Following the controversy, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the ruling Congress government of institutionalised corruption. BJP state president BY Vijayendra asked governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to step in, and called for the resignation of both chief minister Siddaramaiah and housing minister Zameer Ahmed Khan.
“BR Patil has alleged that there is rampant corruption in the housing department and that, without paying bribes, common people are not getting houses allotted in rural areas,” Vijayendra said. He said, “Another senior Congress MLA, Raju Kage, has stated that he is frustrated as grants meant for the development of his constituency have not been released because commissions have not been paid.”
Speaking to the media in Ainapur village of Belagavi district, Kage said that despite ₹25 crore being sanctioned under the chief minister’s special grant for his constituency, there has been little to no progress in implementation. “The system has collapsed completely, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I resign in two days,” he declared.
Vijayendra alleged that ministers were under pressure to collect funds for the Congress central leadership. “Karnataka has become an ‘ATM’ for the Congress high command,” he said. “All ministers are under tremendous pressure to collect money to meet the demands of their party’s central leadership, leading to corruption in every department.”
Vijayendra also demanded that Siddaramaiah must not only seek the resignation of housing minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, under fire in a separate housing issue, but also take moral responsibility. “I urge the governor to take this matter very seriously. The administration has come to a standstill, people are fed up with corruption everywhere, and even Congress MLAs are exposing their government. I urge him to intervene in this matter.”
