The BJP's Karnataka unit president B.S. Yeddyurappa on Thursday alleged irregularities to the tune of Rs 158 crore in a company under the water resource department and demanded a CBI probe into it.
Yeddyurappa also wanted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to immediately ask Water Resource minister M. B. Patil to step down.
He alleged that the scam took place in January this year when the company, Visvesvaraya Jala Nigam Limited, invited tenders for construction of 2.9km Chitradurga branch canal at an estimated cost of Rs 157.94 crore.
Two companies, National Project Construction Corporation Limited and Amma Constructions India Private Limited, bid for the work. However, the National Project Construction Corporation bagged the contract.
He said both companies had submitted the work done certificate.
National Project submitted the 'work done certificate' issued by Irrigation and Flood Control Department of Manipur government while Amma Constructions produced the certificate issued by Hindustan Steel Works Construction Limited of Tripura government, he said. "What is shocking is that the executive engineer who signed on the work done certificate is the same person. The chief engineers of the departments concerned in Tripura and Manipur denied even having the post, let alone signing the document," Yeddyurappa noted.
BJP Bengaluru district unit spokesperson N.R. Ramesh said the departments in the two north-eastern states have initiated criminal proceedings against those who forged their letter.
Yeddyurappa said Siddaramaiah had objected to the corruption charges levelled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi against him.
"We have information that Patil and his close associates have received a kickback of Rs 25 crore. There is no doubt about it," Yeddyurappa said.
"Prime minister had called the Siddaramaiah government as 10 per cent commission government but this case reveals that it is 30 per cent kickback government. I want to ask how much commission Siddaramaiah has received," he said.
"So many scams have taken place in this government that we may have to hold press conferences once in every three days."
Reacting to Yeddyurappa's allegation, Patil rubbished the charge, saying there is no room for any kickback as the tender was cancelled the day it was learnt that the fake certificates were submitted at the time of scrutiny of the documents.
"Not only the tender was cancelled and a decision taken to call for tenders again, but also the contractor has been blacklisted. Yeddyurappa has a tendency of making baseless charges," Patil said.