Karnataka: Public works worth Rs 400 crore carried out without proper govt orders, says contractors’ association

The letter was written on April 8 and Patil’s body was found in a homestay in Udupi four days later. In the letter, the department sought action against officials responsible for the scam.

The letter was written in response to another letter addressed to the RDPR department by the Hindalga gram panchayat, which in February had asked the department to clear the bills for works completed by Patil. In the letter, the president of the panchayat, Nagesh Manolkar, said that a total of “108 works were carried out in the backdrop of the local temple fair and though the bills had been submitted but the work order was not issued. The contractor has taken loans and requested you to release the money.”

Meanwhile, former RDPR minister KS Eshwarappa submitted his resignation Friday evening after he was named in the FIR for allegedly abetting the suicide of Patil. A source in the RDPR said, “Santosh gave sub-contracts to many people. After completing the works, they started demanding money from Santosh but he failed to pay them as the RDPR did not release any money.”

Patil had last month complained to Union Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh and also other BJP central leaders stating that he was yet to receive Rs 4 crore for road works in Hindalga village. He had reportedly accused Eshwarappa’s aides of demanding 40 per cent commission for the release of the money.

Reacting to Patil’s purported suicide, the contractors’ association has said that Patil’s case is not an isolated incident.

Karnataka State Contractors’ Association president D Kempanna told indianexpress.com, “Santosh’s case is no different from others and such cases are happening across departments in Karnataka. The contracts are given under oral instructions of elected leaders and officials. Previously, work orders were not issued only for emergency works, say if a VIP was visiting any area and some work had to be tended to on an emergency basis. The commission demanded from contractors for clearing the bills for such works has also shot up lately.”

Kempanna also alleged that public works to the tune of Rs 400 crore have been carried out in the state without issuance of proper work orders.

Kempanna said, “Several works are being carried out sans work order. A contractor having links with local elected representatives or ministers first completes the work and the payment is released later. To get the money, the contractor has to pay a commission to the minister concerned as well as other leaders and officers.”

“There is lapse on the part of our association as well. We should have raised this issue much earlier. Things started to become hard after 2019 as the commission percentage increased and the profit margin came to almost nought,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Congress said it will intensify its protest seeking the arrest of Eshwarappa in the Patil death case. On the other hand, Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy said the Congress was taking political advantage of the issue. “Did they fight when a lot of communal incidents took place in Karnataka?” he asked.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai accused the Congress of trying to be the investigator and the prosecutor in the case, adding that the government will not interfere in the probe.

“Santosh Patil’s suicide is being investigated and the autopsy has been conducted. The report from the Forensic Science Laboratory will arrive soon. We will then come to know what really transpired,” Bommai said in response to the Congress’s demand of booking Eshwarappa under the Prevention of Corruption Act.