If asked for commission, contractors should approach Lokayukta: DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru(PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday suggested that if anyone has demanded commission from contractors to pay their bills, then they should file a complaint with Lokayukta.
His reaction comes a day after the Karnataka State Contractors Association (KSCA) alleged that the menace of commission was now more severe than the previous BJP government.
They claimed that "unseen hands and brokers" were active in the offices of Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar and two other senior Cabinet Ministers.
Responding to these allegations, Shivakumar denied involvement of ministers and said, "If anyone has asked for commission from contractors to pay bills, they should file a complaint with the Lokayukta. Our ministers Satish Jarkiholi and Boseraju are not involved in this."
Interacting with to reporters in vidhana soudha, Deputy CM said, If contractors are asked for commission, they should file a complaint with the Lokayukta. Shivakumar questioned as to why should contractors ask the minister regarding bill payment? "Are they (contractors) not aware of the department's budget? How did they take up the contract when there is no grant?"
"During the BJP tenure, contracts worth more than Rs 1 lakh crore were awarded by my department alone. MLAs are requesting for payment of these contract bills," he said.
He stated that during the BJP government, they had warned the contractors a year in advance before the assembly elections.
"We warned them not to take up any work without funds. However, without listening to us, they are now issuing letters of request for payment of bills through political leaders," he added.
On Thursday, KSCA president R Manjunath said "brokers" were active in Shivakumar's office and he also alleged interference by one relative of Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi in the affairs concerning his department.
He further claimed that Minor Irrigation Minister NS Boseraju's son (Ravi Boseraju) "makes all the deals".
While Shivakumar asked the contractors to lodge a complaint in writing, Boseraju and Jarkiholi have denied the allegations.
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CRPF dismisses jawan who married Pak woman without intimation
New Delhi (PTI): The Central Reserve Police Force has dismissed from service its jawan Munir Ahmed for "concealing" his marriage with a Pakistani woman as his action was found to be detrimental to national security, official sources said Saturday.
The jawan was last posted with the 41st battalion of paramilitary CRPF, the lead internal security force of the country.
He was "dismissed from service" under the rules that do not require conducting an enquiry, official sources told PTI.
"Munir Ahmed has been dismissed from service with immediate effect for concealing his marriage to a Pakistani national and knowingly harbouring her beyond the validity of her visa.
"His actions were found to be in violation of service conduct and detrimental to national security," CRPF spokesperson Deputy Inspector General (DIG) M Dhinakaran said.
Ahmed's marriage with Menal Khan came to light after India asked Pakistani nationals to leave the country as part of diplomatic measures taken in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 26 persons were killed.
The two got married over a video call on May 24 last year.
A CRPF probe found the jawan had "not intimated" his wedding and her overstaying in India to the authorities concerned.
