Bengaluru: Mayor alleges fake bills, Smart City MD rebuffs claim

BENGALURU: Mayor Goutham Kumar has taken exception to the slow pace of development works under the Smart City project.
He vented his ire at a meeting on Monday which was attended by Hephsiba Rani Korlapati, MD of Smart City, MP PC Mohan, MLA Rizwan Arshad Khan (Shivajinagar) and BBMP officials.
"The city is completely dug up and not a single development work has been completed for a year now," the mayor told TOI later."Citizens travelling to work are having hard time due as debris is strewn around," he added. With monsoon having set in, the debris could cause accidents, he warned.
During the meeting held at BBMP headquarters, the mayor said contractors had produced fake completion certificates, but in reality, projects were only half done. "There are at least 10 contractors who have produced fake bills and job completion certificates. I have ordered an investigation into this," said Kumar.
Korlapati, however, rejected the mayor's claim on fake bills. "We are working hard to finish the projects, which have been delayed due to Covid-19," she said. Smart City works began in January but lockdown was declared in less than two months, halting the projects, she added. The MD said fake bills can't be created as everything is online. "The Smart City Mission is monitored by a board of people and there's no chance of contractors faking bills," she said.
PC Mohan too said roads across the city are under repair, but work completion certificates have already been issued.