The BBMP has decided to hold back payments related to works implemented by the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Ltd (KRIDL), currently under investigation for irregularities.
The move follows the state government’s decision to probe all ongoing and completed works, following a Rs 118-crore scam exposed by the Lokayukta.
In an internal circular, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath has reportedly directed his subordinates not to release payments to KRIDL. He has cited a state government order that assigned senior IAS officer Amlan Aditya Biswas, the regional commissioner, to conduct a comprehensive investigation.
The exact extent of KRIDL's current projects remains uncertain. Past records show that the BBMP had assigned works amounting to Rs 12,943 crore in six years, between 2015 and 2021. This was clearly done to bypass the tender process as KRIDL, a government agency, had the powers to execute works worth below Rs 2 crore each without a tender.