Mysore/Mysuru: The State Government has ordered an investigation into the alleged cloth bag scam where former Mysuru Deputy Commissioner and the present Commissioner of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Rohini Sindhuri has been accused of misappropriation of funds.

In the past, K.R. Nagar JD(S) MLA S.R. Mahesh had accused Rohini Sindhuri of corruption in the cloth bag distribution scheme as part of a plastic-free campaign in Mysuru district when she had served as Mysuru DC.

He had alleged that the IAS Officer had placed an order for 14.71 lakh cloth bags at a price of Rs. 52 a piece, which amounted to Rs. 7.65 crore, meant for distribution to households in all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the district, including Mysuru City Corporation (MCC).

He had claimed that the cloth bags were actually available for Rs. 13 a piece in the retail market in Mysuru. Under the scheme, every household was to receive two bags — one with a capacity to carry 5 kg and another 10 kg, he said.

Alleging kickback in the scheme, which had led to a loss of more than Rs. 6 crore to the State exchequer, Mahesh had contended that the scheme was taken up without bringing the matter to the notice of any ULBs in the district.

The State Government has now ordered a probe into the purported scam. Soon after the allegations surfaced, Rohini Sindhuri had dismissed the charges as false and unfounded.

She had clarified that the work order for cloth bags distribution scheme was given to State-run Karnataka Handloom Development Corporation (KHDC) and added that the order was placed in compliance with Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act.