Date:17/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/17/stories/2007061750360400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

KPTCL employee accused of cheating colleagues

Special Correspondent

Amount involved is said to be Rs. 600 crore
Employees paid money to co-op. society for sites

BANGALORE: An employee of Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. (KPTCL) has been accused of cheating his colleagues out of Rs. 600 crore.

The Kadabagere KPTCL Employees Welfare Association on Saturday levelled serious allegations against KPTCL Employees Cooperative Society honorary secretary K.P. Champakadhama Swamy, who is a mechanic in the power utility.

Addressing a press conference here, association office-bearers Hanumanthaiah and Thimmappa said about 3,500 KPTCL employees had paid a total of Rs. 100 crore to the society from 1991 to 2004 for formation of sites. The society bought 180 acres of land in different areas of Bangalore in 1995 to form 3,500 sites.

But Mr. Swamy had sold 140 acres of land worth Rs. 500 crore to private developers and had not given the money to the society, they alleged. Of the 3,500 sites, the society had formed only 170 sites. But those sites had not been developed, and documents had not been given to the members, they alleged. Elections were yet to be held to the managing committee of the society since 1998, and Mr. Swamy continued as honorary secretary from 1991, they alleged. Of the 3,500 members who had paid deposits for sites, nearly 70 per cent had retired.

They said that they had filed a complaint with the police and also taken up the matter with the Registrar of Cooperative Societies. They alleged that the Registrar had not responded properly to their pleas.

The association members, most of whom are senior citizens, appealed to Chief Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy to intervene and provide justice to them.