Bengaluru safe city project row: Govt will look into the matter, says Home Minister

Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said the government would look into the Bengaluru Safe City project, amounting to Rs 619 crore. Two senior IPS officers in Karnataka argued over the matter.

Bengaluru:As the war of words between two senior IPS officers in Karnataka intensified over the Rs 619 crore Bengaluru Safe City project, state Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said the government would look into the matter.

Addressing reporters here, Bommai said, "I have already spoken to the Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar and Director General of Police Praveen Sood to take note of it. They will take a call on what directions and orders to be issued."

The minister was reacting to a query on the two officers crossing swords on the issue in public. Additional Commissioner of Police Hemant Nimbalkar, who is Chairman of Nirbhaya Tender Inviting Committee and tender scrutiny Committee, has alleged that someone had impersonated Home Secretary D Roopa and tried to gain access to classified information, which according to him tantamounted to 'illegal interference.'

In response, Roopa, who is an Inspector General of Police rank IPS officer, said she accessed the tender documents and found serious irregularities in them. Calling it a 'whistle-blowing' act, Roopa said the Bharat Electronics Ltd had complained to the Prime Minister's Office that the tender favoured a particular vendor.

Subsequently, the government ordered Bengaluru police Commissioner Kamal Pant to probe into the 'illegal interference' in the process.

At a press conference on Sunday, Nimbalkar said the claim that Bharat Electronics Limited was wrongly disqualified was
"absolutely false." He said Call-III of the tender for Safe City Project was in process.

Reacting to Nimbalkar's clarification, Roopa accused him of 'misleading' the government and demanded an inquiry into this role in the whole process.

"He is deep in corruption even in this Nirbhaya Tender of 1,067 crore, of which Central Government fund is 700 crore. Needless to say that he has been included in charge-sheet by CBI in 2020 in 4,500 crore IMA company scam," she alleged in a statement.
PTI