Pics: Abhijith N Kolpe
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)

Mangaluru, Apr 28: MLA J R Lobo on Saturday April 28 said that he will be filing defamation suit and criminal cases against those who made false charges against him in the allegations KUDCEMP scam.

He also said that he has obtained an injuction order against a TV channel for airing false allegations against him.

"This is not the first time the opposition is making allegations against me. Earlier activist Hanumanth Kamath too made false allegations. Now as the election is drawing close, the opposition has begun baseless allegations against me regarding KUDCEMP," Lobo, who is also the Mangaluru South Congress candidate for Karnataka elections, said addressing a press meet here.

"I had earlier clarified this issue at the MCC meet and the BJP remained silent for a while, but today they have again begun to rake up the issue. I was commissioner of MCC from 1999 to 2003 and in June 2003, I was released from the MCC governing body. On July 2003, I became director of KUDCEMP. Karnataka government on January 2003 had ordered Mangalore City Corporation to be designated as an implementing agency for the execution of the city's components under the KUDCEMP project. Under this, a separate engineering cell was formed along with consultancy which is connected to KUDIFC. The role of KUDIFC was to transfer the money which was implemented by the engineering cell. As the MCC commissioner my role was only to sanction the project implemented by the engineering cell, give it an administrative sanction and transfer money required for its execution.

"The government passed this order on January 2003 and it was implemented. I took over the director post from July 2003 and continued it. In December 2009 I was released from the post. During my tenure as KUDCEMP director, only drinking water facility and developmental works of nine cities were undertaken and UGD work was pending.

"The opposition falsely took up the UGD problem at Suratkal constiuency which was implemented in the year 2011-13. When I was released from the director post in 2009, how could I be responsible for the UGD project which was excecuted from 2011-13? As KUDCEMP director, 400 engineers and 75 contracts were under me, but there was not a single complaint nor was I corrupt. Earlier I had kept quiet thinking that it is a small issue, but as the election is drawing near, these people are imposing false allegations against me.

"This is a conspiracy to psychologically murder me. I am courageous enough to file a defamation suit and criminal case against those who have spread false allegations. If they have enough documents backing the corruption, then they can hand it over to the Lokayukta. After nine years they are acting cowardly by raising up this issue again," he said.

Youth Congress president Mithun Rai, Kallige Tharnath Shetty, Mahabala Maarla and others were present.