Puttur MLA Ashok Rai on June 3 submitted a formal complaint accusing senior officials of Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRI DDL) of siphoning a 7 per cent surcharge from contractors on a monthly basis.
The allegation, addressed to the district procurement minister and the department minister, claimed that the officials received the extra amount and deposited it into the Job Savings Corporation account.
In response, KRI DDL’s chief engineer N Vijay and junior engineer Prajwal R I wrote to the managing director seeking clarification and categorically denied any wrongdoing.
According to the corporation’s guidelines, a 3 per cent service fee is added to the estimated project cost at the SR rate, while a 10 per cent contractor saving is already built into the SR rate. The remaining 7 per cent is meant to be transferred to the Job Savings Corporation, not to personal accounts.
The department also explained that it directly appoints group leaders to supply labour and building materials, eliminating the need for third‑party contracts. Work carried out under the names of junior or assistant engineers is monitored closely, and any deviation in quality or quantity would hold the three officers personally responsible.
The officials contend that project lists approved by the legislature were executed as per schedule, with site inspections and measurements recorded. They allege that a few group leaders filed false complaints through the MLA, which later appeared in television and newspaper reports, causing personal distress to the
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📰 Source: Vartha Bharati DK