BBMP Working Contractors Association’s president Manjunath reversed his stance on Monday, August 14, stating that he had never levied 'commission' allegations against Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. He said that the allegations were a result of what was told by some other contractors. “A contractor Hemant and some five to six contractors had told us that a commission of 10-15% was being demanded on behalf of DK Shivakumar. But we later realised that they were some middlemen who were causing confusion about this,” he said.
The letter by the Association submitted to the Governor and signed by Manjunath alleged that they had received complaints from contractors that a commission of 10-15% had been demanded on behalf of Shivakumar. The letter, bearing Manjunath’s signature, was written on the association’s letterhead. Manjunath refuted his earlier claim, “I had mentioned that some contractors had told us about the commission. On behalf of my association, I haven’t given any statement on the commission allegations.”
The letter submitted to the Governor by this group read, "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% 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 letter read.
The situation took a political turn with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) calling out the Congress party, but the association stressed that it was not affiliated with any political group. Manjunath said, “I just want to clarify that our group is not affiliated with any political party.”
"We wish to make it clear that we are not bowing to any pressure or intimidation. The allegations of corruption were the result of actions by certain intermediaries seeking personal gains. There is some frustration about the pending bills. Our focus remains resolutely on our pending bills, and we are committed to seeking a viable solution," Manjunath said.
He has now sought a meeting with Shivakumar to give his clarification. “Yes, we definitely want to be paid the amount that is pending. Even the contractors have financial commitments that we have to adhere to. With the government’s new order for an investigation into all the projects, the payments will likely be delayed for another 10 to 12 months. Our priority is to see that payments are released,” he said.
The letter has caused a stir among contractors. Karnataka State Contractors’ Association (KSCA) had called for an emergency meeting at its office in Chamarajpet in Bengaluru on August 9. D Kempanna, the president of the association had said, “To date, we have not received any formal complaints regarding corruption by this government. While we are aware of the claims being made about commissions and bribes, we cannot take any action without verifiable evidence. It is crucial that those making these allegations come forward with specific information so that we can properly investigate the matter.” Kempanna had also opposed the SIT probe ordered by the government and called it unwarranted.
DK Shivakumar, meanwhile, denied all allegations. He had said the contractors' allegations were part of a larger political ploy.