Bengaluru: Is the BDA wasting public money?

BENGALURU: A BDA contractor has pocketed a whopping Rs 40 lakh, purportedly for  building and metalling of roads, embankments and other works, apart from forming sites for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) at OMBR Layout in Banasawadi.

The formation of the layout was proposed for allotment of sites of 20 X 30 feet for 113 members from the Dalita Okkuta Samithi as per the BDA commissioner order dated February 4, 2011.

Following the commissioner’s order, necessary provisions were made for construction of embankments with available land, granite slabs for drains, grading and metalling of roads, stone masonry and RCC deck slabs for culverts etc.

Work on formation of layout was said to have been taken up on survey number 173/11, 173/12, 227/1, 227/2 and 227/3 at Banasawadi village in OMBR Layout. Ironically, the work was carried out on two pieces of land which were under litigation while in another case the BDA has lost the case and filed a writ appeal, said M. Pari, an RTI activist.

In respect of survey number 173/12, Munithayamma and others fought against BDA and won the case in her favour. Although the BDA had to challenge the order it did not challenge within the stipulated 90 days. Subsequently, BDA filed a writ appeal after 120 days, he added. In the case of survey number 227/1 and 227/3, a case is pending before the additional city civil and sessions court since 2006.

The BDA authorities are very much aware of the fact that the case has been pending in the court. If this is the case, how can the BDA allow the contractor to execute the work, he questioned. As if that were not enough, the BDA has sanctioned the bill amount of Rs 40 lakh for work not done! The BDA engineer, in collusion with the contractor, has given a contract certificate and completion certificate.

What is actually existing is a barren land or land on which shanties have been erected, said Mr. Pari. This is how the public money is being wasted by unscrupulous officials. The BDA officials who certified the work and recommended to release money should be punished, added Mr. Pari.

BDA commissioner T. Sham Bhat said that he will look into the files and verify why money was released for work which was not done. He also said that the engineer concerned will be punished.