BENGALURU ∙ The contractor’s letter to the President and the Prime Minister asked the President and the Prime Minister to give permission for euthanasia as the officials demanded a 40% commission to pass 61 lakh rupees for the supply of medical equipment in Karnataka. The new controversy comes as the next blow to the BJP government immediately after the allegations that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bomme tried to marginalize journalists by paying them.
The letter was written by Basavaraj Amargol, a resident of Hubballi, who distributed medical equipment worth Rs 84 lakh during the Covid-19 pandemic. The letter states that only Rs 23 lakh was passed and when the offices went to the offices for the remaining amount, the panchayat authorities asked for a commission of 40%. The contractors’ association had earlier written to the Prime Minister complaining that contracts for different departments can only be obtained if a commission of 40% is given to ministers and public representatives.
The contractor had committed suicide in April after allegedly asking the Eshwarappa Commission, the former rural development minister. Eshwarappa then resigned but the controversy was not curtailed. The government is currently in the midst of allegations that the Prime Minister has ‘gifted’ journalists Rs 1 lakh to 2.5 lakh along with Madurai for Diwali. Some journalists themselves revealed this. However, Bomme responded that the claim was false and that the Congress was behind it.
English Summary: Contractor writes to PM Modi seeking permission to end life
