Karnataka DyCM Shivakumar stiffens stand on contractors, says 'probe will take place'

Bengaluru, Aug 10 (IANS) Stiffening his stand on withholding clearance of bills to contractors, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on Thursday that an investigation will take place before clearing bills of contractors.

Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar said, "The complaints were given by them (BJP) and Kempanna (President of State Contractors' Association). Justice has to be given in on all these complaints. Let them do anything for publicity."

“I know who is calling them to New Delhi and tutoring them by giving statements. I also know who is presenting them before the media. Those behind it are well settled and will talk about it later. The contractors will have to prove their work in the investigation. For those contractors, who had executed the works genuinely, the government will give justice to them,” he said.

The rift between the Congress government and contractors in Karnataka is escalating day by day. The contractors, who are on the path of war against the government, met former CM B.S. Yediyurappa on Wednesday and requested him to support them to get pending bills done.

The delegation of the State Contractors’ Association had met Yediyurappa at his residence in Dollars Colony and sought his cooperation and support for their agitation against DyCM D.K. Shivakumar. The contractors have alleged that he is demanding 15 per cent cuts in the bills and also complained about this to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot. They had also challenged Shivakumar to take a pledge before his family deity over the commission charges.

K.T. Manjunath, the President of BBMP Contractors’ Association, said that many projects have been taken up and completed in the limits of BBMP and also in the Assembly constituencies. DyCM Shivakumar had stopped the payment of bills and formed a team to investigate and submit a report on the execution of projects by contractors.

The contractors are not in a position to wait until the report is submitted. Many of them had written to the Prime Minister and the President to grant them mercy killing instead of delaying payments. Yediyurappa is yet to make a public statement in this regard.

Former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy said that the State Contractors’ Association President Kempanna, who waged a war against the previous BJP government alleging the demand of 40 per cent commission in all bills by the BJP ministers is now maintaining that the contractors have fallen into the fire from the frying pan during the rule of Congress.