CM office staff demand Rs 30 lakh bribe to get work done despite MLA’s letter: Kumaraswamy’s latest charge

BENGALURU: A day after accusing the Congress government of collecting YST, former chief minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumarswamy on Monday charged that no work is done at the Chief Minister’s Office without bribe.

Adddressing a press conference, Kumaraswamy alleged that the staff at the CM’s office ignore recommendation letters from MLAs and demand Rs 30 lakh for any work to be done, hinting at corruption in the CMO.

Criticising the Congress government, Kumaraswamy said, “A transfer syndicate has started in this government. There is one syndicate in each department. They will give a list of who should be transferred and the transfer are done as per that list. In this government, a new syndicate has started in the Commercial Tax Department”, he charged.

Launching a scathing attack, Kumaraswamy said, “When I was the chief minister in the coalition government, there was a syndicate in the Transport Department, in the transferof subregisters. But, I kept my eyes closed as I had no authority. Transfers were done on the recommendations of the Congress. Now, under the Congress-led government, a syndicate is working in the Commercial Taxes Department”.

“Some ministers are holding back transfer orders, though the CM has approved it, to make money. The ministers have blocked the transfer orders from the CM’s office to various departments. I can provide as many such cases”, he said, throwing a challenge to the government.

“Nothing has been done by the government in the one month since it came to power. The Governor read out about the government’s works in his address to the joint session, but I didn’t see all 135 MLAs thumping their desks in suppor as they too know in which direction this government is headed”, Kumaraswamy noted.

“Why should I lose patience? I became chief minister twice by chance, not because of people’s will. The Congress criticised Basavaraj Bommai as PayCM and accused the government of taking 40 per cent commission. Is there any records to prove the charges? Didn’t they have patience at that time?” he said.

“When I was CM, I was released Rs 19,000 crore to Congress and BJP MLAs without any discrimination. Let Siddaramaiah release that much money for constituency like I did”, Kumaraswamy said, challenging CM Siddaramaiah. “I will speak out all these matters in the Assembly session without hesitation”, he added.