Another complaint to ACB against CM Siddaramaiah

BENGALURU: An RTI activist has filed a complaint with the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, seeking investigation into the alleged corruption and nepotism involved in allotting tender to Matrix Imaging Solution India Pvt Ltd, where the chief minister’s son, S. Yatheendra was a Director, to set up diagnostic centre in Victoria Hospital premises under the Prime Minister’s Swasth Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY).

In his complaint, RTI activist S. Bhaskaran had stated that the allotment of contract to a company, in which the CM’s son was a director, was in stark contrast to the rules, regulations and guidelines set for the people’s representatives.

“The company owned by the Chief Minister's son has participated in a tender process of the Karnataka Health Ministry/Medical Education Ministry, for which the Chief Minister himself is the ultimate boss and also the head of the Council of Ministers. One does not need immense knowledge to find out as to what has happened in this tender process and how the company bagged this contract,” he stated.

“Can an elected representative’s immediate family member participate in any tender process? The total number of companies that participated in the tender process? Do the companies which quoted higher rates than Matrix happen to be hand in glove with the CM’s son? Why did the other six companies, which came for pre-tender discussions, not participate in the tendering process? Was Yatheendra’s company the only bidder in this tender process? The ACB has to investigate these points,” the complaint stated.