BENGALURU:
The High Court of Karnataka has issued a stay on the Government Order that established a one-man inquiry commission led by retired High Court judge H N Nagamohan Das. This commission was tasked with investigating allegations of a 40% commission on government contracts, as claimed by certain contractors.
The State Government had issued this order on August 5, 2023, in order to investigate the alleged commission in works assigned to various departments such as Urban Development, Water Resources, Minor Irrigation and Rural Development, Public Works, and Panchayat Raj between 2019-20 and 2022-23.
Justice M Nagaprasanna, who presided over a petition filed by multiple contractors, stayed the Government Order on December 7. He stated that it seems the State is taking a different stance due to a change in government. Unless the State can justify its actions in issuing the contested order or establishing a one-man inquiry commission, all further proceedings will be halted. A Special Investigating Cell has been formed to investigate and inquire into all the works challenged in the petition filed by Nikshep Infra Projects and 44 other contractors.
The Additional Government Advocate has been instructed to accept notice on behalf of the Urban Development Department of the Karnataka Government. The contractors have also included the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) as the second respondent in the case, although no relief is being sought from the civic body.
The inclusion of BBMP as a party is merely for the sake of completeness, as stated in the petition.
