Bengaluru, 7 Jan

Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday raided the offices of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Engineer Prahlad Rao in an alleged Rs 900 crore scam linked to 2016 borewell projects and Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants.

According to sources, a team of seven ED officials arrived at the BBMP central office around 11am.  ED also conducted raids at half a dozen locations of BBMP. Sources said ED collected a "good number of" documents and electronic gadgets.

They said about six offices linked to the BBMP were searched under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The searches were based on a complaint lodged by former BBMP councilor NR Ramesh.

Ramesh, a BJP leader, told reporters that he had lodged a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Bureau on 16 June, 2020 about the borewell and RO plants between 2016 and 2019. This scheme was introduced to provide safe drinking water in areas where there is no Cauvery water supply.

He alleged that the councillors, officials and contractors connived and embezzled Rs 400 crore in 50 out of 66 BBMP zones of Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Dasarahalli, Yelahanka, Mahadevapura and Bommanahalli.

He also stated that maximum loot happened in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Yeshwantpur, Benglauru South, KR Puram, Batarayanapura and Dasarahalli.

The Palike had released Rs 671.16 crore for drilling borewells and Rs 156 crore for constructing RO units, Ramesh said. He added that he has information that 9,588 borewells were dug within the corporation limits during the said period.

According to him, an average of Rs 7 lakh was spent for digging borewells and Rs 16 lakh on constructing RO units.

BBMP Engineer-in-Chief BS Prahlad said ED has started their preliminary investigation and they came for the verification of records pertaining to borewells and RO units set up between 2016 and 2019.

He also said that there is a meeting going on with the heads of various departments. We are introducing them to the ED officials.

According to him, the ED sought a room to carry out the investigation and a place inside the council building will be provided to them. -Salar News