In a major embarrassment to the Congress Government in Karnataka captained by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister HK Patil on Saturday admitted to a drinking water testing laboratory scam which has occurred in his department to the tune of Rs190 crore. In a Press conference on Saturday in Bengaluru, he said he has ordered a CID probe and cancelled the tenders for 46 new testing laboratories.
He said "the testing laboratory project for the 146 taluks was sanctioned without approvals from the Government. There were violations in the tendering process. Neither me nor the Cabinet had any idea about the tenders being sanctioned. It was done at the departmental level but we are yet to probe who and how many of them were involved."
"The CID probe will be centering around the tendering process followed by the department in awarding the contracts. Prima facie, I have found enough evidence on the tendering process being not carried out. It was never communicated to the Government over the tendering process and finalising the contractor," he said.
The Opposition BJP raked up the issue and cornered the Government demanding an inquiry. The Bharatiya Janata Party has alleged a scam involving Rs190 crore in setting up water testing laboratories and purchase of water testing equipment in 146 taluks. Senior BJP leader Jagadish Shettar on Friday had raised the scam in the RDPR department of 120 laboratories being awarded to a single person, with the entire tendering process was stinking of nepotism and favoritism. He demanded the resignation of the rural Development Minister.
Jagadish Shettar has demanded the resignation of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister HK Patil. He alleged that Patil flouted rules under the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act 1999 while awarding a tender to M/s. Prasad Rajpati Environ to set up 146 water testing laboratories in taluks under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme. The firm did not have the required qualification to get the allocated, Shettar alleged. He demanded immediate cancellation of the tender and a high-level inquiry.