'KRIDL scam is real': Govt orders probe into all BBMP works

After the Lokayukta’s stunning report that exposed a Rs 118-crore fake bill scam in RR Nagar, the state government has ordered a probe into all works entrusted to the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Ltd (KRIDL) by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike in 2020-21 and 2021-22.

The probe will be conducted by senior IAS officer Aditya Amlan Biswas, who currently serves as the regional commissioner of the Bengaluru division.

The order was issued by the Urban Development Department (UDD) on Wednesday as per the recommendations of former Lokayukta Justice Vishwanath Shetty.

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The Lokayukta’s preliminary investigation, submitted in February last year, had found that the BBMP and KRIDL engineers cleared fake bills to the tune of Rs 118 crore for works that were not done or achieved only up to 30% progress.

Biswas is expected to probe all KRIDL works that are either under construction or just completed. Between 2015 and 2020, the BBMP handed over Rs 12,943 crore worth of works to KRIDL, bypassing the regular tender formalities. Officials did not immediately share the extent of works awarded to KRIDL in the last two years.

RR Nagar scam

In order to avoid the process of floating tenders, the BBMP awarded over 113 works to KRDIL by splitting the value of each work below Rs 2 crore. The work mostly involves asphalting ward roads as well as repairing roadside drains. The findings of the Lokayukta investigation are also proof of why the infrastructure in Bengaluru is pathetic.

The Lokayukta has broadly found three types of discrepancies. More than half of the 113 works were not taken up at all but the BBMP engineers submitted fake bills to get the payment. Such instances were observed in places such as RR Nagar’s Poornachandra Layout, M Vishweshwaraiah Layout, Mallathahalli, Sunkadakatte Cross, Dr R Arunachalam Road, Aiyappa Garden, Subash Chandra Nagar, Telephone Employees’ Layout etc. BBMP cleared anywhere between Rs 1.1 crore and Rs 1.7 crore even when no work was taken up.

There were several instances where the BBMP engineers took up 30% of the work (presumably for the sake of raising bills) but ensured the KRIDL was paid close to 90% of the tendered value. This was observed in places such as Kottigepalya, Vinayaka Layout, Nagarabhavi 5th Block, BEML 5th Stage, NGEF Layout, RHCS Layout, etc.

Besides this, the Lokayukta report also finds over two dozen works had deviated from the tender specifications. As per the agreement, the KRIDL was expected to apply cement concrete over the drains (which has a longer shelf life) but the contractor had taken up substandard work by putting up hollow bricks which are very cheap.

Such discrepancies were observed in places such as Ideal Homes Township, New Horizon School, BEML 5th stage, HCS layout, Jnanajyothi Nagara, Jnanabharathi Ward, Muneshwara Nagar etc.

Terming the observations of Lokayukta as “serious”, the government suspects a similar modus operandi across the city.