Now, Karnataka Minister D K Shivakumar Faces Corruption Allegation From Contractors

A Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Contractor Association has written a letter to Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot wherein it has accused Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar of demanding a bribe to clear pending dues.

Oneindia has got access to the memorandum submitted to the Governor by the contractors' guild. The letter written by its President K T Manjunath has claimed that the Minister of Urban Development D K Shivakumar of demanding 10-15 per cent commission.

"It appears that BBMP which is supposed to act in a manner so as to protect our interest, has been acting in absolute detriment to our interests The Association has received representations from numerous contractors complaining of the illegal and arbitrary stand of the BBMP in refusing to release the payments and we have also been informed by some of the contractors that a commission of 10-15 per cent is being demanded on behalf of the Hon'ble Minister for Bengaluru Development for the release of payments against bills that are certified and approved for payments," the memorandum read.

The memorandum alleges that the BBMP is arm-twisting the contractors while also throwing light at the problems faced by them due to the delay in the payment.

"The Association apprehends that the BBMP is attempting to arm-twist the contractors for extraneous considerations budging to political pressure and in the process, the contractors are suffering inexplicable plights. We wish to submit that as your Excellency is aware, the contractors' execute work by availing loans and overdraft facilities and it is the regular payments of the bills against the works done that ensure the financial solvency of the contractors. If payments are withheld for years on end, it rings a death knell to the financial solvency of a contractor.

At present, the actions of the BBMP have resulted in a dire situation causing contractors to consider giving up their life by killing themselves as they are unable to face the financial burden that they are being put through."

Another report claims that a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Contractors Association has stopped all works till the pending bills are cleared by the Karnataka government.

At a press conference on Monday, a contractor without naming Shivakumar made serious allegations against the Deputy CM.

"Their children are opening malls, you don't our children to live? Why you are afraid of making a statement against them?... Let him (Shivakumar) come and promise in Ajjayya temple that he has not demanded money to clear our bills," News9 quoted Hemant as saying in a viral video.

It has to be noted that Shivakumar is a follower of the Ajjayya temple.

"I have to get Rs 94 crore for work done. Why are you silent? You are saying Tushar Giri Nath (BBMP Commissioner) is not clearing the bills, all these days he was clearing our bills but on whose orders he has stopped it, you should speak on it," Hemant told BBMP Contractors' Association president K T Manjunath at a press conference.

He questioned Manjunath why the association is silent against him when it was not scared to make 40 per cent commission allegations against the previous BJP government.

"All the MLAs asked us to put tar on roads during the election they must come and stand with us...You said 40 per cent commission then and you didn't have any fear why are you getting scared now?" the contractor said.

Meanwhile, D K Shivakumar, responding to the development, said that the protests by the BBMP contractors are planned by my political opponents. "I know who all are behind this. I wish them all the best. People have given us the mandate to remove corruption. Lokayukta has given us a report. There are so many cases where, without doing work, the contractors have minted money," India Today quoted him as saying.