Mysuru: The Probe Committee which was constituted by the Mysuru City Corporation in connection with MG Road Double Billing Scam where Rs.1.4 crore was allegedly siphoned off by submitting two bills for the same work has found that Rs. 52 lakh was billed after pouring jelly stones and levelling the road that was already asphalted.

The Committee that has been holding marathon meetings since the last two days, summoned records and found that a good and asphalted road was re-asphalted and a bill of Rs. 52 lakh was claimed by the accused. Based on the bill, the MCC had sanctioned the money.

The Committee is led by Mayor Pushpalatha Jagannath. The complainant in this case is Council Opposition Leader B.V. Manjunath against MCC Assistant Executive Engineer Sunil Babu, MCC Zone-1 Office Junior Engineer M.N. Mohanakumari and contractor Karigowda who are in the dock for alleged misappropriation.

The bills submitted to the MCC also details out other works including laying of interlocking tiles on both sides of the MG Road worth Rs. 29,95,000, 4ft wide 636 concrete slabs worth Rs. 15 lakh, line painting on the sides of the road worth Rs. 9.8 lakh and fixing reflector studs on the middle of the road worth Rs. 8 lakh.

The MCC had constituted this Committee as the leader of Opposition B.V. Manjunath raised allegations over this issue at the MCC Council meeting held on Jan.30 and demanded a detailed probe in this regard. What surprised the Committee was that as soon as the issue was raised in the Council, the reflector studs were fixed on the middle of the road overnight in a bid to cover up the scam.

During the meeting of the Probe Committee where MCC Assistant Executive Engineer Sunil Babu, MCC Zone-1 Office Junior Engineer M.N. Mohanakumari were present, Mohanakumari told the Committee that since MCC Executive Engineer Ramakrishna was pressurising her to submit the bills for the works , the bills were hurriedly submitted. She clarified that she was not at fault as she was working under pressure to submit bills immediately.

The Committee then asked Mohanakumari to give her statement in writing but she did not do so giving some excuse. The Committee though decided to inspect the MG Road yesterday for first-hand information on the road and interlocking works, it decided to conduct the inspection on Saturday (Feb. 16) as PWD Engineer Prakash was not available till Saturday.