‘No end to 40% commission for public works even under Congress,’ says president of contractors’ association

Kempanna was addressing a press conference held to criticise the practice of packaging several works in a single tender to benefit a select few contractors.

On the details of the officials seeking money, Kempanna refused to divulge any names at the moment and said he is “already fighting five defamation cases”. “The officials do not reveal on whose behalf they are collecting the commission,” he said.

In the past, the KSCA had levelled charges of “40 per cent commission” to imply that they were forced to pay the legislators of the ruling BJP government 40 per cent of a project cost for the bills to be cleared.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021, corruption charges against the BJP government were among the key issues raised by the Congress.

Raising other issues, Kempanna said, “Over the past week, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has floated tenders worth Rs 300 crore using the package tender mode. Works under the package fall under various Assembly segments and wards, raising several suspicions.”

He added that the government is bungling tenders in a single package of works for the construction of houses in three to four districts under the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.

“For instance, for a tender in the Bengaluru Rural limits, the package is for works in Kolar and KGF limits. Similarly, for a tender in Tumakuru, works in Pavagada, Tiptur, Hebbur and Gubbi are included. This is hurting the prospects of local contractors seeking work,” Kempanna said.

Though Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had assured to stop package tenders, it is continuing. “We will meet the CM by the end of this week and raise the issue again,” he added.