Karnataka: Irrigation funds used to fund poll of officer's wife?
Of 112 tanks in Koppal, only a third have water with money for their development swindled.
Koppal: While the CID is investigating the illegal award of tenders for piece works worth about Rs 40 crore for development of tanks in Kushtagi division of Koppal district, sources in the minor irrigation department say a big chunk of the misappropriated funds was used for the recent taluk and zilla panchayat elections.
According to highly placed sources, some of the money was used to fund the campaign of a wife of an irrigation department officer contesting the panchayat elections on a Congress ticket. Inquiry has revealed that of the 112 tanks/lakes in the district, only a third have water and a majority are in a bad shape.
A couple of them have been encroached upon, and others are drying up for want of maintenance. Going by the condition of tanks/lakes, the report said it was clear that funds were swindled in the name of their development.
Based on the inquiry report the government suspended 26 officials of the minor irrigation department in Kushtagi division for allegedly producing fake bills to claim over Rs. 34 crore for work not done. The scam was reported from the home district of minister of state for minor irrigation, Shivaraj Tangadagi.
Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha president, Maruti Manpade alleges that as many as 25 contractors, who are known supporters of Mr Tangadagi , had bagged the desilting work bypassing the tender route. “And now instead of arresting the contractors who have swindled the money, the minister has suspended some lower rank officials,” he regrets
Local BJP leader, Mukund Rao Bhavanimath, who claims credit for unearthing the scam, alleges that the minister and his brothers are involved as well. However, denying this strongly, Mr Tangadagi says he has requested CM Siddaramaiah to complete the investigation into the scam as early as possible.