BBMP scam: Opposition demands CBI inquiry

BANGALORE: Councillors and party workers from Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) demanded different agencies to probe into the multi-crore scam. Presently, Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) is conducting a probe into the scam. On Wednesday, Congress councillors staged a protest demanding BBMP to handover the probe to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Speaking to Express, Opposition leader Udayshankar said that the present Rs1,539-crore is just a tip of an ice berg. This amount is limited to three constituencies only, he noted.He further said after Palike expanded, more number of development works took place in the new zones, especially in Mahadevapura, Dasarahalli, Bommanahalli, Bangalore (South) and Rajarajeshwari Nagar. Every MLA from these new areas have taken at least `500 crore grants in the name of developing their constituency. “Tender, work and issuance of bill is done overnight,” he alleged. Udayshankar said they estimate the scam to cross `20,000 crore. “It is suitable to handover the case to CBI as the amount is too big for BMTF to probe,” he added. While some of the BJP councillors are in favour of council in-house committee to probe into the scam. “An in-house committee should be constituted to probe into the scam. Discussion is going on, it will be decided in the BBMP council meeting on November 29,” a BJP councillor, on condition of anonymity said.JD(S) leader Padmanabha Reddy had opposed Ruling party’s decision on constituting an in-house committee to inquire into the multi-crore scam. He had demanded to handover to the probe to Lokayukta. He had demanded that Lokayukta should probe in all the 28 constituencies.