BENGALURU, 9 JAN

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its investigation into allegations of corruption and discrepancies within the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) by issuing notices to 43 former officials. This development comes a day after ED officials seized several documents from the office of BBMP Chief Engineer BS Prahlad in the City.

On Tuesday, an ED team conducted a raid on the office of the Engineer-in-Chief and confiscated documents related to infrastructure projects from 2016, specifically concerning bore well and RO plant initiatives undertaken by the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL). Sources indicate that a preliminary review of the documents revealed significant discrepancies in calculations, prompting the issuance of notices to former BBMP officials, including Chief Engineers from Rajarajeshwari Nagar, KR Puram, Yeshwanthpur, and Bommanahalli. The notices were delivered through BBMP Commissioner Tushar Girinath on Thursday.

The ED has also requested order copies and reports issued by the standing committee between 2015 and 2024. Furthermore, sector-wise reports on bore well and RO plant projects implemented between 2015 and 2019, with budgets ranging from Rs 3 crore to Rs 10 crore, have been demanded. These reports have to include details of the officials and engineers who headed the projects, the rationale behind their initiation, and the source of the demand for such projects.

The ED has also directed the BBMP to provide documentation verifying that the bore wells and RO plants installed during the period in question are operational and being properly maintained. The BBMP has also been instructed to submit identity documents, such as Aadhaar and PAN cards, as well as other pertinent details of former BBMP corporators. -Salar News