The Hindu : Janata Dal (S) complains to poll panel

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Janata Dal (S) complains to poll panel

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, MARCH 22. The General Secretary of the State unit of the Janata Dal (S), K.N. Chakrapani, who had brought to light irregularities in the municipal councils adjoining Bangalore, has brought what he says is a similar case to the notice of the Election Commission.

He told The Hindu here today that the State Government, by a recent order, had approved a major drinking water supply and sewerage project for all the eight local bodies, to be integrated with the schemes of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). Global tenders had been floated for the purpose, he said. "These works have been undertaken to woo the electorate and net funds for the ruling party," he alleged.

Mr. Chakrapani today lodged a formal complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer, Abhijit Dasgupta, and the latter reportedly agreed to look into it. "I seek the intervention of the Election Commission in ensuring that all these projects are put on hold until the election process is completed," he said.

The State Government recently floated a global tender for the first phase of the project at a cost of Rs. 166 crore. The total cost of the water supply and the sewerage project is around Rs. 700 crore and will be undertaken by the BWSSB. The local bodies to be covered under the project are the city municipal councils of Yelahanka, Byatarayanapura, Krishnarajapuram, Mahadevapura, Bommanahalli, Rajarajeshwarinagar (originally Pattanagere), Dasarahalli and the Kengeri Town Municipal Council.

Mr. Chakrapani, referring to the claim of the Congress party that its Government had performed well, said if it was so confident of winning the elections, where was the need for it to hurriedly implement such schemes to please the people.

Apart from this, the local bodies had also undertaken another project recently to improve civic amenities at a cost of Rs. 25 crore in violation of the model code of conduct and this had also been referred to the Election Commission, he said.

Mr. Chakrapani had unearthed a Rs. 240-crore stamp duty scam in eight local bodies and it was referred to the Corps of Detectives (CoD) for investigation. The CoD submitted a detailed report upon which the Government ordered a joint investigation based on the report. "This has been done to protect the guilty persons," he charged.

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