From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, May 21: Within hours after Opposition BJP levelled allegations regarding a Rs 17.5 crore corruption scam in the purchase of furniture for the State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) department, Karnataka’s RDPR Minister H K Patil has ordered a judicial probe into the scam.

The department has also suspended six officials of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Department (RWSSD), which come under the purview of RDPR Ministry.
Announcing this at a press meet here, Patil said a retired judge of the district session court would conduct the probe.

In another scam in the engineering section of the RDPR, the Minister suspended seven officials for not depositing Rs 57.40 lakh collected in the form of fee from contractors for their license renewal during 2015-16.

Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Jagadish Shettar alleged direct involvement of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H K Patil in a Rs. 17.5 crore furniture scam and demanded a high-level inquiry in it.

The RWSSD had blatantly violated tender procedures under the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act (1999) and prices fixed by the Directorate General of Supply & Disposals (DGS&D) and asked a firm called Central Supply Services to supply furniture at exorbitant prices, Shettar alleged.

Shettar had alleged that the Central Supply Services owned by Govinda Reddy, a close friend of Patil, had supplied furniture such as high back revolving chairs, executive tables, medium back revolving chairs, visitors’ sofas, coffee tables, computer tables, filling cabinets to offices of RWSSD in Bengaluru and district offices.

Orders were placed to the company without calling tenders and high prices were charged for furniture, Shettar claimed.

The BJP leader alleged that the RWSSD offices of Belagavi and Kalaburagi divisions purchased furniture from R J Kamangouder.

In both cases, oral instructions were given to supply furniture, which were inferior quality, to offices and this indicated a huge scam in the department, he alleged.
Furniture such as high back revolving chair was purchased at Rs 35,500 against the market price of Rs 16,500. Already the department has made payment to both merchants, Shettar alleged.

The BJP leader demanded a comprehensive probe into the alleged misappropriation of funds and resignation of Patil.

Activist P Sadashivaiah of Tumakuru, had complained to the Finance Department and the Chief Secretary on alleged irregularities on March 30, 2016
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But the State Government had maintained total silence on the issue as if nothing had happened,Shettar alleged.

Governor gives assent to RDPR University Ordinance

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala has given his assent to the Ordinance on Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) University.

RDPR Minister H K Patil told reporters in Bengaluru on Saturday that the Governor has given his assent to the Bill which was passed by the State Legislature in March last.

The university would come up at Gadag at an estimated expenditure of Rs 166 crore.

Patil called on Governor Vala on Friday and explained the State Government’s intention in promulgating the Ordinance.

Patil said the Ordinance was issued to avoid delay and allow the proposed university to commence functioning from the coming academic year itself (2016-17).