Karnataka government orders probe into 40% commission row involving BJP leaders

The Congress government in Karnataka has ordered a judicial probe into the allegations of 40% commission paid on state contracts during the preceding Basavaraj Bommai-led Bharatiya Janata Party regime. The state government has constituted a committee under the leadership of retired High Court Judge Nagmohan Das to investigate the allegations made by D Kempanna, president of the Karnataka State Contractors Association.

In connection with the same, an order was issued by the Deputy Secretary of the Public Works Department to investigate the 40% commission case during the BJP government. It has been mentioned in the order that a committee headed by Nagmohan Das should examine the location and documents in detail and submit a complete report to the government within the next thirty days.

Further, the necessary files and documents related to the investigation should be provided to the investigation committee by the officials of the respective concerned departments. The public works department said in the order that the officials should be personally present during the site inspection and give full cooperation to the investigation.

The issue first emerged in April 2022, when Santosh Patil, a Belagavi-based contractor, died by suicide. In his suicide note, Patil accused then-state minister and BJP leader KS Eshwarappa of demanding a 40 per cent commission in order to clear a government project. D Kempanna, president of the Karnataka State Contractors Association, had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021, alleging that contractors had to shell out 40% commission for public projects, a charge which the Congress used as its key campaign issue to target the then incumbent BJP government.

While meeting the delegation of the Contractors’ Association a week ago, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah promised the contractors that his government would initiate action to stop the commission menace. PTI