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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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.
