Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)
Bangalore, Oct 27: The alleged irregularities relating to awarding of work contracts on piecemeal basis in Krishna Upper Bank Project have started to haunt former Prime Minister (PM), Deve Gowda, again. The charges of irregularities relating to this project, which had made headlines over a decade back, had died down thereafter. The issue has now got a new lease of life, and this is sure to give sleepless nights to Deve Gowda, who claims himself to be a strong denouncer of scams and irregularities. Gowda’s protracted legal battle against Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises is well known.]
The personnel of the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) filed a First Information Report relating to the scam in Vidhana Soudha police station here on Wednesday October 26. The department had investigated the allegation that Deve Gowda, who was the Chief Minister (CM) of the state, had cleared hundreds of files overnight relating to the above project, before he became the PM. The total amount involved in the alleged scam is around Rs 400 crore.
Deputy commissioner of police of central division, Ramesh, confirmed that FIR had been filed as above. The FIR, it is learnt, has just mentioned that officials, contractors, non-official persons, staff members, and others, who functioned in the state between 1995 and 1998 were involved with the scam, without giving individual names.
The Krishna Upper Bank Project, which was meant to irrigate 6,220 sq km of drought-hit areas of some north Karnataka districts, had been taken up in two phases. The works were allotted overnight, as Deve Gowda, who was chosen as the new Prime Minister of the country, was in a hurry to leave for New Delhi. It is said that he ignored advice from his colleagues to call for tenders before approving piecemeal contract files. Allegedly, he had increased the total outlay of certain works from Rs 2.5 crore to Rs 5 crore, without following rules. There had been allegations that about Rs 400 crore was released to private contractors then in the name of the above project.
A house committee with 14 members had been formed later, to look into the allegations. The committee, after going into the details, had recommended inquiry by Central Bureau of Investigation. The then Chief Minister, J H Patel, did not agree with this recommendation, and formed another committee. Vyjanath Patil, who was the chairmen of the Estimates Committee of the legislature, had also thrown light on the irregularities. The government thereafter, formed a committee of four retired officers for investigating the allegations, but the committee did not submit any report.
After Yeddyurappa became the Chief Minister, he said he planned to hand over the investigation to CBI, by taking up the report of the house committee afresh. The case was later handed over to CID.