From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jun 25 : Karnataka’s Water Resources Minister M B Patil has stoutly denied the corruption charges levelled by the Opposition BJP leader Jagadish Shettar that the State Government had violated norms in awarding tender works, in taking up of the remodelling works in the Malaprabha left and right bank canal irrigation project.
Addressing a news conference in Bengaluru on Saturday, he said: “There is not an iota of truth behind such allegations”.
The minister dubbed the Opposition leader’s allegations as ‘totally frivolous and baseless”.
The minister said the State owned Karnataka Neeravari Nigama has sent a proposal for taking up of the works of the remodelling of over four decade old Malaprabha canals, which is in the infant stage and no approval was given by the State Government.
“A project proposal of any kind, would have to pass through several stages of processes and the proposal of the remodelling works of the Malaprabha left and right bank canals are in the initial stages of field survey and which is yet to be completed,” he explained.
M B Patil
Describing the BJP leader’s charge that the State Government had awarded the tender works for over Rs 964 crores in a package model, as "reckless and wild” the Minister said: “Shettar having served as the Chief Minister of the state and also a senior minister in the previous government, should have aware of the procedures, in tendering the works, before hurling such Baseless charges.’’
“To cover-up the failure on their part in resolving the inter-state Mahadayi river sharing issue, the BJP leaders are indulging in hurling baseless charges” M B Patil said.
Maintaining that the State Government had by taking note of the plights of the farmers in the Malaprabha basin of facing acute shortage of flow of water, had proposed to take up the remodelling of the age-old canals, the minister said “the BJP leaders who were blind to the grievances of the farmers in the region, when they were in power, are pointing fingers on us, fearing losing their political base”.
Referring to the objection raised by Shettar for having taken action against two Engineers in the KNNL he said that the action was taken for violating the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements Act KTTP), for their arbitrary action in jacking up the tender value in awarding the works, without following the procedure.
While welcoming the Opposition leader’s decision to raise the matter in the coming assembly session, he said: “We will place all the records before the house and expose the Opposition leader on the issue”.
On the objections raised by the Opposition leader on awarding the contracts on Package mode, in the Kolachi Right Bankcanalrejunavation works, Patil said: “The practice was in vogue since 1997 and is was done to ensure quality in execution of canal works in a time bound manner”.
KNNL Managing Director R Rudraiah and senior officials of the Water Resources Department were also present on the occasion.