CM Siddaramaiah blames previous BJP government for 'financial indiscipline' and 'commission racket'
Bengaluru, Jun 23: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday blamed the previous BJP government for 'financial indiscipline' that has caused problems for government contractors, and said it would take some time to fix the state's economy.
He assured the contractors that the 'commission racket' will be busted during his tenure.
"Financial indiscipline and commission menace of the previous government has created problems for contractors. It will take some time to fix the economy, which was derailed by BJP," Siddaramaiah told contractors during a meeting here.
The contractors led by the Karnataka State Contractors' Association president D Kempanna requested him to release the pending bills of contractors worth Rs 20,000 crore and issue the letter of credit.
A review meeting of BBMP and Finance Department Secretaries will be called after the budget session, the CM assured them.
He requested that the withheld amount be released and a no objection certificate be issued.
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Later speaking to reporters, Kempanna said he asked the CM to clear the pending bills, which was the big issue before the contractors.
"Contractors are in trouble. Other than pending bills we have not discussed anything. He has promised to solve this problem," the contractor association president said.
Asked whether he raised the issue of harassment by the previous government, he said, "No. That is a different issue. Most important is the pending bills."
Regarding the BJP's charge that he was not producing evidence to substantiate the 40 per cent commission allegation, Kempanna said he has discussed the issue with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah but refused to share the details.
"I will not discuss it here. I will submit details when the time comes," he added.
To a query whether there was zero corruption in the current government, Kempanna said the present government is just one-month-old.
"So far no one has come to us with a complaint on demand of bribe. If someone makes such a demand, then we will expose it. There is no need for us to get scared. If someone asks money, then we are ready to expose. I will be the first person to expose it," he said.
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11k litres of milk poured into Narmada river after religious event; environmentalists see red
Sehore (PTI): Around 11,000 litres of milk were poured into Narmada river, often called the lifeline of Madhya Pradesh, in Sehore district on the culmination of a 21-day religious event as part of a sanctification ritual, prompting environmentalists to flag its negative impact on the ecosystem.
The event concluded at Satdev village in Bherunda area, located about 90 km from the district headquarters, with a 'mahayagna' on Wednesday.
The milk was offered to the river as part of rituals and prayers for the purity of the waters, the well-being of pilgrims and prosperity, organisers said.
The milk was brought in tankers to the riverbank and later poured into the flowing water amid chanting of mantras in the presence of a crowd of devotees.
However, environmentalists raised concerns over the practice, warning of its potential ecological impact.
"Such large quantities of organic matter can deplete dissolved oxygen in water, adversely affecting the river ecosystem. These impact local communities dependent on the river for drinking water and threaten aquatic life as well as domestic animals," noted environmentalist and wildlife activist Ajay Dube said.
Religious offerings should be symbolic and mindful, he asserted.
Renowned environmentalist Subhash Pandey said 11,000 litres of milk acts as a significant organic pollutant.
"It is highly oxygen-demanding and can lead to oxygen depletion, aquatic mortality, eutrophication (process of plants growing on river surface) and loss of potability. These effects are predictable from dairy-effluent chemistry and have been documented in similar incidents worldwide," Pandey pointed out.
Narmada originates at Amarkantak in the state and traverses 1,312 km westward to Maharashtra and Gujarat, emptying into the Arabian Sea via the Gulf of Cambay.
It is the largest west-flowing river in the peninsula, passing through a rift valley, and acts as a crucial water source for irrigation in MP, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
