Bengaluru: D Kempanna, president of Karnataka State Contractors' Association, passed away on Thursday after suffering a heart attack. He was 84. He had been dealing with age-related health issues and was recently discharged from a hospital following treatment.
Kempanna had been a prominent figure in the fight against alleged corruption in the process of awarding civil contracts for govt work and was widely recognised for his relentless efforts in combating corruption and advocating on behalf of contractors.
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He brought to light allegations of ‘40% commission' in the previous BJP govt in 2021, detailing these claims in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accusing the administration, led by Basavaraj Bommai, of widespread corruption. The revelation that ministers and govt officials were demanding 40% kickbacks to award contracts and process payments gained significant traction. Congress, then in opposition, leveraged it for their ‘PayCM' campaign in the run-up to the 2023 assembly elections and eventually registering a thumping win.
Kempanna, inevitably, drew criticism that his actions were politically motivated, a claim he stridently denied. He insisted that he wasn't a Congress supporter and that his allegations were genuine.
In Feb 2024, Kempanna alleged that the culture of kickbacks persisted even after Congress took office. In response, the Congress govt...
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