The Urban Development Department (UDD) has claimed it is still probing the ₹1,500 crore fake bill scam in the city’s civic body during 2008-2012, five years after the Justice Nagamohan Das Committee, which probed the allegations, submitted its report recommending action against officials and contractors in 2018.
This gains significance in the light of Justice Nagamohan Das again chairing a single-man commission to probe allegations of “40% commission” in State government contracts, including that of the UDD, during the previous BJP regime and raises questions on the effectiveness of these commissions.
The government has set a three-month deadline to probe allegations in key departments like Public Works, Panchayat Raj and Rural, and others.
On the other hand, the UDD has formed four special investigation teams to investigate the 40% bribery allegations in civic works in BBMP.
Responding to a Right To Information plea by activist Amaresh S. seeking a copy of the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission report into the fake bill scam and action taken thereof, the UDD has refused to share the report with the applicant saying the matter was still under investigation.
The report had recommended specific actions against contractors and officials who were at fault in the scam. The report had also suggested blacklisting of erring contractors. These were pertaining to civic works undertaken in three Assembly constituencies - Rajarajeshwarinagar, Malleswaram, and Gandhinagar.
According to the RTI documents accessed by the The Hindu, the UDD in response to a request said: “You (applicant) have sought report of Justice Nagamohan Das report on probe into a scam that occurred between 2008-2012 including a letter that was written in 2021 by the UDD on 314 officials/engineers. But, the same cannot be shared as a probe by the UDD based on Justice Nagamohan Das Commission report has not concluded yet”.
The UDD response has left Justice Nagamohan Das wondering. He said that his report that was accepted by the government had only recommended action against officials and contractors and there was no need for further investigation.
“I had meticulously investigated going through 6,000 different files of the BBMP and shockingly each document exposed malpractices. The malpractices include generating fake bills, executing works without any work order, issuing completion certificates without carrying out works. There was nothing to probe further. After the report was submitted the government had formed a committee to implement the recommendations, not probe further. Some of these recommendations may have been partially implemented,” Justice Nagamohan Das said.
Mr. Amaresh said he was at a loss as to how the UDD could still be investigating an over a decade-old scam and refused to give him a copy of the report that was tabled in the Assembly and it “raised suspicions on their motives”.
