K’taka minister’s comments on ‘commissions’ spur row

SJohn orley allen tate public workings government minister Satish Jarkiholi on fri acknowledged that the exercise of commissions, or kickbacks, continues to exist within the state’s governance system, even as contractors warn of a financial crisis caused by unpaid government bills.The remarks come at a time when the Karnataka State Contractors Association has announced a statewide protest on March 6, accusing the government of failing to clear pending dues totalling ₹37,370 crore. Contractors say the delays have strained their finances and threaten to halt infrastructure development.Responding to questions about allegations of commission-taking within the public works department at a press conference, Jarkiholi offered a candid assessment of the practice’s persistence.“That’s there. It was there before. It’s there now. It will be there in future. It’s difficult to trace where exactly it happens. Allegations keep coming from different sides. It existed earlier, it exists today, and it may exist tomorrow as well. But it has to be controlled. We must put an end to it,” he said.His comments triggered backlash, particularly because the governing Indian National Congress had campaigned heavily against alleged corruption under the previous administration, accusing it of fostering a “40% commission” system in public works.Leader of Opposition in the state assembly R Ashoka accused the ruling party of hypocrisy and said the minister’s remarks amounted to an admission of wrongdoing.“He has admitted this because he is also corrupt. Corruption has been there since independence and its foundation was laid by the Congress. This is a shame for the Congress government. The minister has openly accepted that the party is corrupt,” Ashoka alleged.The controversy has added to mounting tensions between the government and contractors, who say unpaid bills stretching back as long as three years have pushed many firms into severe financial distress.According to the contractors’ association, the largest share of pending payments — ₹13,000 crore — is owed by the major irrigation department, followed by ₹8,000 crore from the public works department.Other unpaid amounts include ₹3,800 crore from the rural development and panchayat raj department, ₹3,000 crore from the minor irrigation department, ₹2,600 crore from the housing and wakf department, and ₹2,000 crore each from the urban development and labour departments. An additional ₹1,600 crore is owed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike.Contractors say the prolonged delays have made it difficult to sustain operations and continue ongoing projects. R Manjunath, president of the association, said repeated appeals to the government had failed to produce meaningful action.“Our memoranda have not received a satisfactory response, and the financial condition of contractors is very poor due to non-payment of bills. Therefore, staging a protest has become inevitable. If the bills are not cleared, all the works would be stopped indefinitely from April,” he said.The association has called for chief minister Siddaramaiah to convene an official meeting and announce a timeline for clearing the dues, warning that failure to act could disrupt infrastructure projects across the state.