No commission sought from us: Contractors’ association president Kempanna defends Cong govt

BENGALURU: Amid the allegation of 15 per cent commission levelled by some contractors against Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, the Karnataka State Contractors’ Association president Kempanna on Friday said they are not making any such allegations against the present government and denied that any commission was sought from them.

Addressing a press conference, Kempanna denied any link with the representation given by the BBMP contractors to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and refused to speak on the 15 per cent commission charge. Regarding an alleged deal struck at the Shangri La hotel, he said he had only heard about it and added that now, some BBMP contractors are also denying the 15 per cent commission charge. He also said they should provide evidence to prove their allegation.

Kempanna said the government owed Rs 25,000 crore to contractors and set a set a deadline of August 31 to release the pending payments. “Bill are pending for the last seven months. In between, the Model Code of Conduct was in force and bills were not cleared. On August 30, it will be three months since the new government came to power and we have met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar twice in this time. We also met ministers Satish Jarkiholi and Priyank Kharge, but nothing has been done so far”, he said.

Kempanna said dues of contractors who have taken up work for the PWD, Water Resources, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Departments and the BBMP have not been paid though funds have been sanctioned. “We have borrowed loans, pleged our houses and gold ornaments to raise money. The government has allotted Rs 657 crore to the BBMP, but the chief commissioner is not releasing payment stating that there is no order from the government. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah questions why we are pressuring the government, but many contractors are on the brink of committing suicide”, he said.

Attacking the previous BJP government, Kempanna said, “We appealed to then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai many times, but he did not agree to release payments. He is lying. I have documents to prove the 40 per cent commission charge and I am producing them before court. Also, there is no need of an SIT probe into works taken up four years ago. We will discuss all these issues in our executive committee meeting and decide on the future course of action”, he said.

He also expressed disapproval of the BBMP contractors’ association president Manjunath meeting senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa saying that it would seem political. He also claimed that contractor Hemanth, who had challenged Deputy CM D K Shivakumar to swear on Ajjayya had called him and told him that he spoke in such a manner as his son was ill and he was under pressure.

“If necessary, I will talk to the CM and get a list of the contractors who have indulged in illegalities. Let the government take action against those who have billed the government excessively. But the 15 per cent commission allegation is being made deliberately”, Kempanna stressed.

Training his guns on BJP leader Govind Karjol, who had questioned where Kempanna had disappeared, he said, “We both were storekeepers earlier. But if one looks into the affairs of the Irrigation Department, one would say enough of this”, he claimed.