BENGALURU — The war over commission allegations has intensified in Karnataka following the submission of a report by the Justice H.N. Nagmohan Das Commission over the alleged 40 per cent commission charged by the previous BJP government in the state.
In response, the Karnataka BJP unit has launched a poster war, accusing the Congress-led government under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of taking a 60 per cent commission.
Taking to social media platform X, the Karnataka BJP shared a motion poster with the caption “Just loot it; flat 60 per cent Commission”, featuring an image of CM Siddaramaiah. The party also gave it the title “All day, all night – just loot it”.
Speaking about the submission of the investigation report on the 40 per cent commission allegations, Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi said in Hubballi on Thursday that the investigation should be conducted fairly and that the report should be presented in the House.
Questioning the probe by the Commission, Union Minister Joshi asked, “To whom have you issued notices? As far as we know, no one has received a notice. Those accused have not been served notices. First, issue the notices.”
“Once we receive the notice, we will respond. We are not afraid of empty threats,” he said.
Reacting to the development, State Women and Child Welfare Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar said that while the BJP is free to make allegations, the Commission led by Justice Nagmohan Das has submitted its report on the 40 per cent commission charge against the BJP government.
“The Cabinet is expected to discuss the matter today,” she added.
“I want to say that BJP leaders take the name of Lord Ram, but their actions resemble those of Ravan. Since the BJP has no real issues to raise, they resort to making baseless accusations,” Minister Hebbalkar said.
“We don’t know about any 40 per cent or 60 per cent loot. We made promises to the people before the elections, and we are fulfilling them. We have ensured that our five guarantees reach people’s doorsteps. We are focused on our work and do not bother about such allegations,” she added.
Responding to the matter, BJP MLA from Yelahanka, S.R. Vishwanath, claimed that the 40 per cent commission charges against the previous BJP government were false.
“Before the elections, the late D. Kempanna, then President of the Karnataka State Contractors’ Association, had made these allegations against the BJP government. The Congress turned it into a major election issue and won the Assembly polls,” he said.
“Justice Nagmohan Das Committee has now submitted a report. We don’t know what’s in it. How can anyone receive a 40 per cent commission? Late Kempanna was an elderly man when he made these allegations, and at that time, he was not even involved in contract work,” Vishwanath added.
“Recently, the Contractors’ Association also accused the current Congress-led government of taking a 60 per cent commission. Let them investigate and explain how they supposedly collect 40 per cent. If you take Rs 40 from every Rs 100, how will contractors make any profit? Even 25 per cent of the work wouldn’t get completed,” he asked.
“In my opinion, late Kempanna made false allegations. Once the facts come out, we will discuss them both inside and outside the Assembly,” Vishwanath added.
Justice Nagmohan Das Inquiry Commission submitted its report on the allegations made by the State Contractors’ Association. Including annexures, the report spans 20,000 pages and has been handed over to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The commission investigated complaints by the contractors’ association regarding the alleged existence of more than a 40 per cent commission in government contracts.
The association also requested an inquiry into other irregularities, such as the lack of transparency in contract allotments.
The Commission considered complaints and submissions from the public as well.
In addition to the allegations made by the contractors’ association, the state government directed the commission to examine all works undertaken and completed between July 26, 2019, and March 31, 2023, across five key departments.
The inquiry covered all districts, various types of projects, and different Budget allocations.
The findings of the Justice Nagmohan Das Commission are expected to spark a major political debate in the state. — IANS
