Former Minister and environmentalists allege corruption in Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project

Rashtrabhaktara Balaga, founded by former Minister K.S. Eshwarappa and Parisarakkagi Naavu, a forum for environment, have alleged large scale corruption in the Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project and demanded a CBI inquiry into the affairs.

In a press conference in Shivamogga on Friday, Mr. Eshwarappa alleged that the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL), the project implementing agency, was yet to obtain clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change for the project. Karnataka High Court had also stayed the works of the project on the ground. However, the KPCL had already paid ₹380 crore to the Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited, the company that bagged the contract of the project.

Mr. Eshwarappa said that the KPCL paid the amount to the company well before work order was issued. “If the project failed to get approval from the MoEF, the KPCL under the Energy Minister, K.J. George, should take responsibility of the funds,” he alleged.

L.K. Sripathi of the Parisarakkagi Naavu forum and others were present at the press conference.