The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Saturday repatriated R. Govindraj, chief account officer, for alleged dereliction of duty and violation of rules in paying bills to contractors. The office of the chief account officer has been sealed and an inquiry has been ordered.
The BBMP Contractors’ Association had complained to authorities saying that Govindraj was violating rules and not prioritising those who had completed the works while paying their bills.
According to sources, the officer had cleared bills of crores of rupees without bringing it to the notice of the special commissioner (finance) and the commissioner. “Such transactions regarding payment of bills should be made through IFMS software to only those contractors who have completed the work. But the officer directly paid it offline,” said a senior civic official.
Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad said, “Based on primary inspection, it has been found that the officer violated various rules. We have immediately repatriated him to his parent agency. We are investigating the matter and based on the report, we will take further action,”
He added that from September 1 to 15, around ₹7.6 crore was paid under commissioner category without even bringing it to the notice of the commissioner.
Ward-level meetings
Following the end of the tenure of the BBMP council, senior officials of the BBMP, who have been appointed as nodal officers, held ward-level meetings on Saturday. According to Mr. Prasad, around 165 wards conducted the meetings.
Citizens who participated in the meetings raised various issues, including black spots, lack of compliance in wearing masks properly and repair of street lights. A citizen, who had participated in the meeting in Vasanthnagar ward, said that the BBMP Commissioner took part in the meeting and directed officials to fix problems in the ward. “We hope such meetings continue and we do not face any problem owing to the absence of elected representatives,” he said.