B'lore Mayor asked if he's yet to get kickback

Bangalore: Peenya Industrial Area Councillor K L Thimmananjaiah, at the council meet on Friday, alleged that Mayor D Venkatesh Murthy was not receiving ‘kickback’, and as a result, the garbage tender had not been finalised. He said, “Although the High Court permitted the BBMP to go ahead with the garbage tender process for his ward, why has it not been finalised? What is the need for the delay? We are still getting the work done from contractors whose tender period has lapsed three years ago. Why have we not finalised the new garbage tender? Are you yet to get kickback from contractors?”

Irked with the allegation, Sunkenahalli Councillor P N Sadashiva urged the mayor to suspend Thimmananjaiah, exercising powers under Rule 88 of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976. However, the mayor sought opinion from opposition leaders M K Gunashekar and T Thimmegowda, who asked the mayor to demand an apology from Thimmananjaiah and remove those remarks from the record.

As per mayor’s direction, Thimmananjaiah tendered an apology and his remarks were removed from the council record. The Mayor, however, told Thimmananjaiah that garbage tender for his ward was still in initial stages. “It has to come before the Standing Committee (Health) and then to the council. If a tender is not finalised, you can blame it,” he said.

Later, Yeshwantpur Councillor Munirathna said the garbage tender for his ward was finalised and had come before the council on Thursday, but was not approved. “Lowest bid had come from a new player, but still you did not approve. The existing contractors are participating in the new tender and are quoting more than 100 per cent. If we approve new players’ tenders at least in 10 places, we can discourage the old players,” he said.