Bengaluru, June 12 (IANS) Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Friday alleged that the about Rs 39,000-crore solid waste management tender was a major irregularity and one of the biggest scams Karnataka had ever witnessed.

Responding to questions from reporters in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy said, “Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka has already spoken about it. Very soon, I will present documents and speak in detail on the matter.”

He pointed out that rules prohibit awarding a tender if the bid exceeds the estimated cost, even by five per cent. He alleged that the government was preparing to pay around Rs 38,000 crore to a company for 38 years and was also allowing a further 35-year extension. “On what basis is such a massive contract being awarded to a company that has been blacklisted? That question must be answered,” he said.

Kumaraswamy further argued that no one could predict what technologies might emerge in the future. Yet, he alleged, the tender was being handed over with the sole objective of making money.

He claimed that the contract was being pushed through despite objections from the Finance Department.

“The Finance Department itself has effectively endorsed the concerns raised by the opposition. As soon as objections surfaced, a committee was formed. The officials on that committee simply endorse whatever they are told. Everyone fears for their position. There is a perception that if they do not comply, they will be removed. Therefore, they are approving whatever is placed before them. A major crisis awaits the people of Bengaluru,” Kumaraswamy warned.

It can be noted that senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Karnataka Assembly, R. Ashoka, earlier in the day launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, accusing the Congress government of corruption, lack of transparency, and shielding those allegedly involved in the Bengaluru garbage tender controversy.

Ashoka on Wednesday sought an independent and time-bound investigation into alleged irregularities in the tender process for the Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) project proposed for Bengaluru.

The allegations assumed significance as they constitute the BJP’s first major corruption charge against the newly formed government led by CM Shivakumar.

The matter gained further momentum after a BJP delegation led by R. Ashoka met Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and submitted a memorandum seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The delegation also demanded the dismissal of the Congress-led state government, alleging large-scale financial impropriety in the project.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the project involved a scam worth Rs 36,500 crore and claimed that kickbacks amounting to Rs 10,000 crore had been paid.

Responding to the first major allegation of Rs 10,000 crore kickbacks in Bengaluru’s waste management tender after taking charge, CM Shivakumar on Wednesday hit back at Ashoka, accusing him of acting as an “agent of the garbage mafia” and indulging in politics driven by jealousy.

–IANS

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