BJP MLC alleges scam in medical test for construction workers

Accusing Karnataka Minister for Labour Santhosh Lad of involvement in irregularities to the tune of over ₹300 crore in the guise of health check-up for construction workers in the last two years, BJP MLC K.S. Naveen has demanded the Minister’s resignation and a CBI probe into the episode.

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru on Thursday, Mr. Naveen alleged that crores of rupees had been claimed from the Karnataka Construction Workers’ Welfare Fund by producing fake documents to show that medical check-up had been conducted for a large number of construction workers.

Mr. Naveen alleged that in Chitradurga alone, the Labour Department had claimed that a total of 33,500 workers had been subjected to medical check-up, though the records showed that only around 6,000 workers had registered in the district.

The authorities had drawn ₹2,940 a worker towards the medical check-up that was actually one and half fold more than the prices prescribed by the Centre, he said.