Angry CM stops BBMP tenders

Angry CM stops BBMP tenders

BSY refutes HDK charge on Meena's elevation

Hemanth Kumar & Senthalir S. Bangalore



Taking the Opposition head-on over the issue of alleged irregularities in BBMP finalising civic work contracts worth Rs3,248 crore, a combative chief minister BS Yeddyurappa on Saturday stopped the tender process till the completion of BBMP polls. Yeddyurappa also dismissed the allegation of former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy that Bharat Lal Meena had bribed him to become the BBMP commissioner as baseless.
Yeddyurappa said the e-tender was part of the Rs22,000crore package cleared by the cabinet two months ago. Global tenders were called through an e-tendering process and there was no scope for manipulation. On the day of opening financial bids (January 12), the e-tendering process ran into technical glitches at the BBMP office. As a result, the process dragged on late into the night as the process could not be stopped mid-way.
Dismissing the allegations of nepotism, he said: "They are global tenders. Only qualified contractors can compete. No preference can be shown to contractors from the state. The entire process was done without any interference. If any contractor has been denied justice, let him come to me and prove it, I will redress it."