Karnataka minister to sue contractors for Rs 50 cr over graft charge

Karnataka Horticulture Minister Munirathna on Thursday said he would be filing a Rs 50-crore defamation case and a criminal defamation case against the Karnataka State Contractors' Association, which has made a 40 per cent commission charge against the government and accused him of collecting money.

The minister, who is in-charge of Kolar district, gave a 7-day ultimatum to the association to provide evidence either before the media or to Lokayukta else apologise through a press release.

He said the case would be filed before the Special Courts for People's Representatives after the seventh day.

"With deep pain, as someone who was a contractor myself, a situation has come for me to file a defamation case against a contractors' association of which I was a member. If left without taking action, it will send a wrong message to the people of the State," Munirathna said.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said not wanting a wrong message to go to people, he is filing the  defamation case against the Karnataka State Contractors' Association and all its office-bearers.

"They have to come before the court and give evidence that this government is asking a 40 per cent commission and get themselves relieved of the defamation case. In case they are unable to provide evidence to the court, the law will take its course," he said, adding, "If  we have committed a mistake let us be punished, but defaming with allegations cannot be let go."

Munirathna said instead of writing letters for the sake of publicity, evidence and documents should be provided to prove the allegations at the earliest, and expose the errant ministers, officials and politicians.

"A complaint should be filed before Lokayukta in seven days, in case there is no evidence to file a complaint before Lokayukta or release it before the media, they should issue a press release seeking apology for the allegations made on Wednesday," he said.

"In case it is not done after seven days, we will file two cases -- Rs 50 crore defamation and criminal defamation, not only against Kempanna (association president) alone but the whole association," he added, as he termed the allegations as politically motivated, as the charges were made as per the "guidance" of the Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah.

Kempanna on Wednesday accused a district in-charge minister, without mentioning names, of threatening officials to collect and get the money.

To a query on the district in-charge Minister he referred to, Kempanna had said it was the Kolar district in-charge minister (without taking Munirathna’s name), who has threatened to suspend the executive engineer if money is not collected and given. "He is asking officials to collect and get the money."

"He (minister) also has threatened to check the three-year-old work with machinery, when no payment has been done for the work for the last three years. He himself was a contractor, and got work done in R R Nagar (his constituency) for Rs 10,000 crore in two terms. What improvement has R R Nagar made?" he had asked.

The contractors' association on Thursday renewed its 40 per cent commission charge and said it would continue its fight demanding an independent judicial inquiry.

An association delegation, led by its president D Kempanna, met Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Siddaramaiah and later alleged that the whole system was corrupt.

Earlier, the state cabinet condemned the allegations of commission made by the contractors association, calling it 'baseless' and asked it to prove with evidence.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who termed the allegations as "nothing but politically motivated", hit out at the Congress, which along with the association is demanding a judicial probe.

"I demand details and evidence for allegations made; if given, will an order inquiry in 24 hours," Bommai said.