Bangalore: JD-S Levels Another Allegation against Yeddyurappa

Bangalore, Mar 19 (PTI): In a further jolt to Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, the JD-S today accused him of receiving Rs 13 crore ''kickback'' through two private firms owned by his family, from a private company for awarding an irrigation project contract to it. 

Davalagiri Property Developers and Sahyadri Health Care and Diagnostics, run by family members of Yeddyurappa had benefited from Murudeshwara Power Corporation, in return for awarding the Rs 1032 crore Upper Bhadra Lift irrigation scheme package-II, to it, JDS chief H D Kumaraswamy alleged.

Releasing "documentary evidence" at a press conference here, he alleged that while Davalagiri Properties received Rs 11 crore, Sahyadri Health Care got Rs two crore.

Kumaraswamy alleged that the process of awarding the contract began when Yeddyurappa was Deputy Chief Minister in the JDS-BJP coalition government headed by him (Kumaraswamy) and was completed when he became the Chief Minister.

The contract was given to RNS Infrastructure Ltd, a group of companies managed by Murudeshwara power corporation and Jyoti Ltd, a joint venture partner, in 2008-09, he charged.

He claimed Jyoti Ltd company had been blacklisted in Himachal Pradesh but was still selected despite objections from Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd, State-owned irrigation corporation, of which Yeddyurappa is the Chairman.

Though the project was tendered initially for Rs 550 crore in 2003-04, the contract was awarded for Rs 1032 crore. Kumaraswamy said he was contemplating filing a petition before the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the state to refer donations received by Prerana Education Trust, also owned by Yeddyurappa family, to order a probe by any agency including CBI, under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Kumaraswamy had alleged recently that the Trust managed by Yeddyurappa's two sons, had received donations of Rs 27 crore from some firms for favours shown to them.
He claimed that last week, when he made the charge, Yeddyurappa had wanted to compromise with him and had himself tried to speak to him through his personal assistants.

The Yeddyurappa government was involved in another major scandal concerning a Delhi based relator firm, he charged and said he would release details after securing the documents. Kumaraswamy also claimed that his telephone was being bugged by the state government.