BANGALORE: Generally, saplings are available at cheaper prices. A report released by H K Mariswamy, Forest Officer, Mahadevapura division of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) claims that a sapling costs Rs. 450.Besides this costly claim, Mariswamy also claimed planting 2,100 saplings at 36 places in around Mahadevapura division during 2010-11. However, the Technical Vigilance Committee under Commissioner (TVCC) found many irregularities in the sapling planting programme at Mahadevapura division. The TVCC found that the official failed to maintain a record in the stock register or log book, on the number of saplings planted. The TVCC members were in surprised to see that many saplings have overgrown (more than 100 cm height).If this was not enough, the TVCC members found many saplings planted at wrong places. As per the records maintained by Mariswamy, these saplings were planted at a locality in Mahadevapura division but the same saplings were found in different locality. The BBMP commissioner had suspended Mariswamy for irregularities. One of the charges was that Rs. 450 was spent on each sapling, instead of Rs. 380 as per the data rate of the BBMP. “The data rate of Rs. 380 is itself an excess amount per sapling,” says an environmentalist on condition of anonymity.However, Mariswamy claims that it was the handiwork of a BBMP officer who demanded bribe from him. “There was an officer who used to demand money from forest officers of the BBMP. I led the campaign to send him back to the state forest department. He had influenced another BBMP official to frame charges against me,”say Mariswamy.When asked about the cost of each sapling, he said, “I merely recommended the contractor’s claim of spending Rs. 450 to plant each sapling. We had claimed the amount but did not receive it from the BBMP.” Meanwhile, M Udayashankar, Leader of Opposition in BBMP Council, described the claim of Mariswamy as a daylight robbery. “There is no need for spending money on saplings since the BBMP has its own nursery and the forest department has also been supplying saplings at free of cost,” he said.When contacted, Siddaiah, Commissioner, BBMP, he said that he was not aware of the incident and assured to look into the matter.Meanwhile, Sreedhara Reddy, Corporator from Doddanekkundi ward, has criticised Mariswamy for colluding with contractor.
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