A garbage contractor was arrested on Sunday for allegedly threatening the Joint Commissioner of R.R. Nagar Zone of the BBMP over clearing a garbage bill that had been withheld for bogus billing. The accused, Venkatesh, had been awarded the contract to collect garbage in J.P. Park ward in the zone.
Two months ago, MLA for R.R. Nagar Muniratna alleged in the BBMP council meeting that bogus billing was rampant as there were not as many compactors and tipper trucks deployed in the ward as were being billed.
D. Randeep, Special Commissioner (Solid Waste Management), BBMP, told The Hindu that a probe revealed that the MLA’s allegations were true, and the case was referred to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) two weeks ago. Civic officials who had cleared bogus bills were suspended. “We had instructed the Joint Commissioner to clear the bills as per the e-report we generated of the vehicles deployed in the ward from the head office, which the officer followed,” he said.
However, Mr. Venkatesh demanded that BBMP officials clear a bill of ₹63.88 lakh, as they had been doing in the previous months.
The Joint Commissioner, H. Balashekhar, refused to do so, following which Mr. Venkatesh turned up at his residence along with six of his associates, abused him, created a ruckus, and threatened him, two days ago. Following this, Mr. Balashekhar lodged a complaint with the R.R. Nagar police, who arrested Mr. Venkatesh.
The police are on the lookout for his associates.