Bengaluru: Minister for Bengaluru Development K.J. George on Tuesday said that he would not resign from the Cabinet since he was innocent as far as DySP M.K. Ganapathy’s suicide case is concerned
“I am innocent. Supreme Court has not mentioned my name while directing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe DySP M.K. Ganapathy’s suicide case. The apex court has directed the CBI either to continue the probe or commence the probe afresh to know the truth and also know who was behind it,’’ Minister George said.
Coming down heavily on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders for planning to organize protests across the state on September 16 demanding his resignation, the minister said the BJP leaders should have waited till three months since the Supreme Court has asked the CBI to submit the report in three months.
“BJP leaders are indulging in character assassination. I too have a family. The smear campaign against me affects my family. I advise the BJP leaders not to indulge in character assassination,’’ the minister said.
Taking the BJP leaders to the task for making baseless allegations against him, the minister recalled how the BJP leaders dragged his name into D.K. Ravi’s death case. “They have organised rallies demanding the state government to handover D.K. Ravi’s case to the CBI. The BJP legislators sat on a dharna in the Assembly. They did not listen to the Chief Minister. They were adamant of handing over the case to the CBI. What has happened? The CBI gave me a clean chit,’’ the minister said.
Responding to a query on why he did not resign when the Supreme Court ordered CBI probe into DySP M.K. Ganapathy’s suicide case while he had resigned when a magistrate court ordered a probe into the matter last year, the minister said the local magistrate court ordered a police inquiry not a CID inquiry.
“It is the High Court which ordered a CID inquiry. The CID filed a B report in this connection. It is late Ganapathy’s father and brother who approached the Supreme Court against the CID report. Now, the apex court has ordered the CBI to probe the case but not mentioned my name,’’ the minister said.
He said that he had cooperated with the CID and would cooperate with the CBI sleuths during the probe.
Developmental works to complete by March
Bengaluru Development Minister K.J. George has said that all developmental works worth Rs 800 crore would be completed by March 2018.
“The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has taken up development of storm water drains (SWDs) in the city. The BBMP has set a target of completing 132-km SWD during 2017-18. It has already completed the development of 62-km SWD and the remaining 70-km SWD works are in progress. The BBMP has already spent Rs 373.85 crore out of Rs 800 crore,’’ he said.
He said Bengaluru has 8420km storm water drains and the BBMP has spent Rs 664.21 crore to develop53-km SWD in 2012-13, Rs 79.30 crore was spent to develop 18.12-km SWDs in 2013-14, Rs 101.38 crore for 20.5-km SWDs in 2014-15, Rs 148.25 crore for 22.08 km of SWDs in 2015-16, Rs 189.74 crore for 28.30 km SWDs in 2016-17.
“The BBMP has to get Rs 800 crore for every two years to strengthen and develop the storm water drains in the city to prevent flooding of low-lying areas,’’ he said.
Garbage issue
The minister has said the BBMP has taken measures to find a solution to garbage menace in the city. He said the BBMP has introduced biometric system to have an idea on actual number of conservancy workers in the city.
“The government has decided to recruit conservancy workers on contract basis. The priority will be given to them whenever there are vacancies for regular jobs in the BMBP,’’ he said.
The minister has also said the BBMP has been working out to establish waste to energy plants instead of compost plants. “The garbage supplied to the waste to energy plant will become energy within 24 hours but it takes two to three months for garbage to be converted into compost at the existing waste management units. One waste to energy plant will be set up shortly,’’ he said.
Potholes and craters
The minister has said the BBMP would take measures to fill up potholes and craters developed due to the recent rains in the city. “The filling up of potholes and craters will be taken up as soon as the rain stops,’’ the minister said.
However, the minister has not specified any deadline for providing a relief to the people of Bengaluru, especially the motorists, from the potholes and craters menace.
Meanwhile, the minister was generous to reveal the details of low-lying areas in the city. He said the BBMP has identified Koramangala, ST Bed, JC Road, Shanthinagar Bus Station, HSR Layout, KR Puram, and Nandagokula Layout as low-lying areas.
