Though the findings and recommendations of the commission were not disclosed to the media, it is speculated that they would come in handy for the ruling BJP to turn the tables on the Opposition on the corruption issue.
For, a major portion of the report, it is said, deals with irregularities in washing of coal that allegedly happened during 2002 and 2008, when the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) were in power. Though the BJP was part of the JD (S)-led coalition government between 2006 and 2007, JD (S) leader H D Revanna was the Energy minister then.
Justice Mohan Kumar submitted the report to Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda. The report comprises two parts; one pertaining to procurement, washing and transport of coal and another on purchase of 500 transformers at a cost of Rs 844 crore in 2006-07.
The government appointed the one-man Commission in 2009 after the JD (S) raised a hue and cry over the alleged irregularities in coal washing in the State Assembly.
The commission was initially given only six months time to submit the report, but it took almost two years to accomplish the task.
Rs 3,500 cr swindled
It was alleged that about Rs 3,500 crore was siphoned off by a nexus of politicians, top bureaucrats and contractors on the pretext of washing coal in the span of seven years.
As per the Union Ministry of Environment and Forestry’s regulations, power stations should use coal with ash content less than 34 per cent. Hence, the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited had set up washeries at coal fields, from where it used to procure coal. About Rs 500 crore was spent on washing coal alone.
The State used to procure coal mainly from Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Smelling a rat in this dealing, the government had asked the commission to probe whether it was necessary to spend such a huge sum on coal washing.
It was alleged the dubious contract to wash coal was awarded in 2003 and the subsequent governments renewed the contract. The commission has also probed into alleged irregularities in transporting coal from the coal fields to thermal power plants. Coal was allegedly transported through a circuitous route, covering both rail and sea routes, despite the availability of many direct and short rail routes.
An estimated Rs 160 crore used to be the expenditure for transporting coal from Thalcher in Orissa to Raichur Thermal Power Station in Raichur alone every year. The government had, therefore, asked the commission to find out those responsible for the loss.
Similarly, the commission has looked into the allegations of irregularities in the purchase of 500 transformers at a cost of Rs 844 crore in 2006-07, when Revanna was the energy minister. In the event of the report finding any irregularity in this regard, the BJP will be too happy to initiate action against the JD (S) leader, who along with his brother and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, has caused immense embarrassment to the BJP by exposing a series of scams in its government.
Speaking to reporters, Chief Minister D V Sadananada Gowda told reporters that the report will be placed before the State Cabinet. He refused to give any details of the report.
Justice Mohan Kumar, too, refused to divulge any details. “I have submitted the report to the government. I cannot say anything now. You have to go through the report, if you really want to know anything,” he stated.
Asked whether the report is an explosive one, he said it depends on what action the government takes on the findings.