Mangaluru: District minister UT Khader on Wednesday said an impartial investigation should be conducted to establish the facts on allegations of corruption in the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Ltd (KRIDL).Puttur MLA K Ashok Kumar Rai had raised the issue after receiving information and out of concern that allegations involving the engineers could tarnish the reputation of the ministers. “The MLA might have reacted to this issue after thinking that this might tarnish the minister’s image. Whether to react or not, maturity comes after winning four or five times,” Khader said.Rai had earlier urged CM DK Shivakumar to order an impartial inquiry into allegations of corruption, illegal collection of money and threats to contractors involving KRIDL officials in the Mangaluru division.Khader said the matter should be investigated appropriately, and that those making false allegations should also be identified. He questioned the need for MLAs to entrust works to KRIDL when agencies such as the PWD and rural development and panchayat raj (RDPR) department were available. He said these agencies systematically execute works after calling tenders.Khader said that among the rain-damage grants sanctioned to MLAs in the district, he was the only person who had entrusted the works to the PWD.“I had written personally to the department to provide the work to PWD,” he said, adding that the department concerned with the particular stretch of road should be entrusted with the work.Khader also alleged that KRIDL did not have adequate staff and proper engineers, and said he had raised the issue in the assembly.
