Cash-for-contract scandal hit KSDL embroiled in another scam of Rs 20 crore, reveals govt document
The cash-for-contract scam-hit Karnataka Soaps and Detergent Limited (KSDL) is embroiled in yet another alleged scam of Rs 20 crore relating to procurement of substandard raw material for its products including the Mysore Sandal Soap, reveals a government document.
The Principal Secretary of the Commerce and Industry Department wrote a letter to the Managing Director of KSDL on February 28 regarding the steps taken in connection with the 'financial irregularities of more than Rs 20 crore in the purchase of raw material soap noodles' three years ago.
Within days, the KSDL chairman and the BJP MLA from Channagiri Madal Virupakshappa's son Prashanth Kumar M V, was caught red-handed by Lokayukta officials collecting a bribe of Rs 40 lakh cash from a contractor, allegedly on behalf of his father at the KSDL office.
Further raids led to the recovery of Rs 8.23 crore cash from the house of the Madal family, huge quantity of gold and silver ornaments and large investment in land.
Prashanth is a Karnataka Administrative Services officer and is the chief accounts officer of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board.
The scam, according to the KSDL sources, had taken place in 2020 and an investigating team was set up accordingly, show the document.
The investigation officer had found that at least four officers holding high positions in the KSDL got the government job based on a degree certificate from an unrecognised university. He had recommended action against them, the letter said.
The government directed the KSDL to furnish the action taken report on May 31, 2021. However, the state government said it 'did not receive any information on the action taken report.' The KSDL also did not tell the government about the action taken against officers against whom Lokayukta had recommended recovery of the amount, the letter added.
The KSDL Managing Director, according to the letter, did not provide information about the action taken against a general manager who was holding the senior position in the organisation based on an 'ineligible' educational qualification.
The government also said in the letter to the MD that the KSDL had entered into an agreement which allowed the Karnataka Milk Federation to utilise 1,450 sq ft of its land on its campus.
"However, the administrative officers 'colluded and allowed a private organisation to operate a hotel in 3,000 sq ft land. Regarding this case, the lawyers of the organisations are being requested to dispose of the case at the earliest," the letter read.
Regarding the case, the letter further said, "You said that the case is in progress and the next date of hearing has not been fixed yet but you did not furnish any detail to the government." The state government also took objection over not furnishing the details of the action taken even after a year.' "Immediately send a detailed report with clear documents with the action taken report to the state government," the letter said.
According to KSDL sources, it has not sent its reply to the state government.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
